to make progress / move forward
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to make progress
To make progress; to develop further or move closer to a goal. This can refer to work, a project, or a learning process.
Ich komme mit meiner Bachelorarbeit gut voran und werde wohl pünktlich fertig.
I am making good progress with my bachelor's thesis and will probably finish on time.
'Vorankommen' (to make progress/move forward) is a separable verb. The prefix 'voran-' comes at the end in a main clause. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb stays together.
Wir kommen heute gut voran.
We are making good progress today.
Since 'vorankommen' (to make progress/move forward) describes a form of movement or change, the perfect tense is always formed with the auxiliary verb 'sein' (to be).
Bist du mit deinen Hausaufgaben gut vorangekommen?
Did you make good progress with your homework?
To say in which area you are making progress, use the preposition 'mit' + dative. Typical adverbs are 'gut' (well), 'schnell' (quickly), 'langsam' (slowly), or 'kaum' (hardly).
Wie kommst du mit deinem Deutschkurs voran?
How are you making progress with your German course?
This meaning is often used to describe movement against resistance. The context is often traffic ('Stau' — traffic jam), weather ('Schnee' — snow, 'Sturm' — storm), or difficult terrain ('Wald' — forest, 'Berge' — mountains).
Im dichten Gedränge der Innenstadt kam man kaum voran.
In the dense crowds downtown, you could hardly move forward.
to arrive
'ankommen' and 'vorankommen' look similar, but they do not mean the same thing. 'ankommen' means that you reach a destination. 'Vorankommen' means that you are making progress or moving forward, often step by step. So you are not necessarily at the goal yet. Learners can easily confuse the words because both have to do with a goal. Memory tip: 'ankommen' means reaching the goal; 'vorankommen' means getting closer to the goal.
Bei dem dichten Schnee kamen die Autos nur langsam voran.
In the heavy snow, the cars moved forward only slowly.
Vor der Reise möchte ich wissen, wann wir im Hotel ankommen.
Before the trip, I want to know when we will arrive at the hotel.