TOPIC · Sentence structure & conjunctions

BEVOR – VOR – VORHIN – VORHER – DAVOR

B1

After this lesson, learners will be able to correctly use the terms 'bevor', 'vor', 'vorhin', 'vorher', and 'davor' to express temporal sequences.

This lesson focuses on the German words "bevor", "vor", "vorhin", "vorher" and "davor". These words help us express actions that happen before other actions. Let's explore each of these terms in detail.

1. Conjunction BEVOR

"Bevor" is used as a conjunction to indicate that one action takes place before another. It introduces a subordinate clause.

Examples:

SentenceTranslation
Bevor ich zum Konzert gehe, esse ich etwas.Before I go to the concert, I eat something.

The main clause can be placed before the subordinate clause:

SentenceTranslation
Ich esse etwas, bevor ich zum Konzert gehe.I eat something before I go to the concert.

2. Preposition VOR

"Vor" is a preposition that is used with the dative. It describes that an action occurs before a certain time or event.

Examples:

SentenceTranslation
Vor meinem Abschluss mache ich viele Pläne.Before my graduation, I make many plans.

3. Adverb VORHIN

"Vorhin" is an adverb that indicates something that happened recently. It often appears at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence.

Examples:

SentenceTranslation
Vorhin habe ich die Nachrichten geschaut.I watched the news earlier.

"Vorhin" describes actions that happened a short time ago, usually minutes or hours prior.

4. Adverb VORHER and DAVOR

The adverbs "vorher" and "davor" refer to a specific time before another event occurs.

Examples:

SentenceTranslation
Ich gehe jetzt in die Schule. Vorher muss ich frühstücken.I'm going to school now. I must eat breakfast beforehand.
Davor hatte ich keine Ahnung vom Projekt.Before that, I had no idea about the project.

Both "vorher" and "davor" can be used for past and future contexts to indicate sequences of time.