davor
before that
Refers to a point in time before a mentioned or known event.
EXAMPLE
Die Besprechung beginnt um 10 Uhr, davor sollten wir noch einen Kaffee trinken.
The meeting starts at 10 o'clock; before that, we should have a coffee.
davor
before that / in front of it
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Meanings
davor
in front of it
Refers to a spatial position in front of a mentioned or known place or object.
EXAMPLE
Das Haus hat einen großen Garten und direkt davor verläuft ein kleiner Bach.
The house has a large garden, and directly in front of it runs a small stream.
davor
of it / from it
Used with verbs or nouns of fearing or protecting to name the object of the fear or protection.
EXAMPLE
Viele Menschen haben Angst vor Spinnen, ich fürchte mich aber nicht davor.
Many people are afraid of spiders, but I am not afraid of them.
Usage tips
Structure: da + vor
'Davor' is a pronominal adverb and combines 'da' (which refers to something known) with the preposition 'vor' (before/in front of). The meaning of 'vor' determines whether 'davor' is meant temporally ('vor dem Termin' — before the appointment), spatially ('vor dem Haus' — in front of the house), or as part of a verb ('Angst haben vor' — to be afraid of).
EXAMPLE
Wir gehen um 20 Uhr ins Kino. Davor können wir noch etwas essen gehen.
We're going to the movies at 8 p.m. Before that, we can still go get something to eat.
Word order
As an adverb, 'davor' can stand in position 1 in a main clause. In this case, the conjugated verb follows in position 2 and the subject in position 3 (inversion).
EXAMPLE
Zuerst kommt die Arbeit, davor habe ich keine Zeit für Pausen.
First comes the work; before that, I don't have time for breaks.
Use with verbs
'Davor' replaces the combination 'vor + noun' when referring to something already mentioned. This is typical for verbs such as 'Angst haben vor' (to be afraid of), 'sich fürchten vor' (to be afraid of), 'sich schützen vor' (to protect oneself from), or 'warnen vor' (to warn about).
EXAMPLE
Die Prüfung ist sehr schwer. Alle Studenten haben Angst davor.
The exam is very difficult. All the students are afraid of it.
Compare with
davor vs vor
before / in front of
Vor and davor refer to a point in time before an event. Vor directly introduces the stated reference, for example “vor der Prüfung” (before the exam), while davor replaces this reference with a pronoun. Use davor when the event has already been mentioned or is clear from the context.
davor
Bitte ruf mich davor an.
Please call me before that.
vor
Bitte ruf mich vor der Prüfung an.
Please call me before the exam.
In real life
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