01
vor
in front of
Indicates a position that is spatially farther forward than something else.
example
Das Auto parkt direkt vor dem Haus.
The car is parked directly in front of the house.
vor
before / in front of
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Two-way preposition
'Vor' is a two-way preposition. It is used with the dative to describe a location (question: 'Wo?' (Where?)) and with the accusative to indicate a direction (question: 'Wohin?' (Where to?)).
EXAMPLE
Das Kind spielt vor dem Haus. (Wo? → Dativ)
The child is playing in front of the house. (Where? → dative)
As a prefix
As a prefix in verbs like 'vorlesen' (to read aloud), 'vorbereiten' (to prepare), or 'vorstellen' (to introduce / imagine), 'vor-' often carries the meaning of 'forward', 'first', or 'making public'.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du mir die Geschichte vorlesen?
Can you read the story aloud to me?
Time expression with dative
When 'vor' describes a time expression in the past in the sense of 'ago', the time expression is always in the dative. This construction is used with the simple past or the perfect tense.
EXAMPLE
Wir haben uns vor einem Jahr kennengelernt.
We met each other a year ago.
Cause with dative
To express the cause of an uncontrollable physical or emotional reaction, you use 'vor' with the dative. Typical verbs are 'zittern' (to tremble), 'weinen' (to cry), 'Angst haben' (to be afraid), or 'strotzen' (to brim with).
EXAMPLE
Er konnte vor Aufregung kaum sprechen.
He could hardly speak from excitement.
Protection with dative
Verbs that express protection, warning, or fleeing are often combined with 'vor' and the dative. Examples are 'schützen vor' (to protect from/against), 'warnen vor' (to warn about/against), and 'fliehen vor' (to flee from).
EXAMPLE
Die Impfung soll vor der Krankheit schützen.
The vaccination is meant to protect against the disease.
Compare with
vor vs in
in
'in' and 'vor' can both indicate a place or a time, but they show different relationships. For places, 'in' means that something is inside a space or area. 'vor' means that something is farther forward or outside in front of it. For times, the difference is especially important: 'in einer Stunde' means a time in the future, while 'vor einer Stunde' means a time in the past. Learners often confuse the words because both occur with place and time. So pay attention to the question: inside or in front of it, future or past?
vor
Vor dem Haus wartet schon ein Taxi.
A taxi is already waiting in front of the house.
in
Der Schlüssel liegt in der Tasche.
The key is in the bag.
In real life
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