gestern
yesterday
On the day before today.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe dich gestern in der Stadt gesehen.
I saw you in town yesterday.
gestern
yesterday
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Meanings
von gestern sein
to be outdated
An idiom meaning that something or someone is old-fashioned, obsolete, or no longer up to date.
EXAMPLE
Seine Einstellung zur Arbeitsteilung ist wirklich von gestern.
His attitude toward the division of labor is really outdated.
Usage tips
Word order
As a time adverb, 'gestern' (yesterday) can stand flexibly in the sentence. It often stands in position 1, followed by the verb. But it can also stand in the middle of the sentence after the subject and verb.
EXAMPLE
Gestern war ich den ganzen Tag zu Hause.
Yesterday I was at home all day.
Use with tense
Since 'gestern' (yesterday) refers to the past, the verb in the sentence must always be in a past tense, either the Perfekt or the Präteritum.
EXAMPLE
Wir sind gestern Abend ins Kino gegangen.
We went to the movies yesterday evening.
Typical collocations
To give a more precise time on the previous day, 'gestern' (yesterday) is often combined with times of day. Typical expressions are 'gestern Morgen' (yesterday morning), 'gestern Mittag' (yesterday at noon), 'gestern Abend' (yesterday evening), or 'gestern Nacht' (last night).
EXAMPLE
Wir haben uns gestern Abend zum Essen getroffen.
We met for dinner yesterday evening.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'von gestern sein' (to be outdated) is a fixed construction. It is used to describe a person, an idea, or an object as old-fashioned.
EXAMPLE
Seine Ansichten über Mode sind wirklich von gestern.
His views on fashion are really outdated.
Compare with
gestern vs Vortag
previous day
Gestern always refers to the day before today. Der Vortag, on the other hand, refers to the day before another day known from the context. Use gestern when looking back from today; when there is a stated reference day, use der Vortag.
gestern
Sie ist gestern für die heutige Sitzung angekommen.
She arrived yesterday for today’s meeting.
Vortag
Sie ist am Vortag der Sitzung angekommen.
She arrived the day before the meeting.
In real life
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