01
voraus
ahead
Expresses a position or movement that is spatially in front of someone or something else.
example
Die Kinder liefen schnell voraus zum Spielplatz.
The children quickly ran ahead to the playground.
voraus
ahead / in advance
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word structure
'Voraus' (ahead/in advance) is made up of 'vor' (before/in front of) and 'aus' (out of). It describes the idea of being out in front of a group or position — in other words, being 'up front' or 'ahead'.
EXAMPLE
Der Läufer war dem Rest des Feldes weit voraus.
The runner was far ahead of the rest of the field.
As a separable prefix
'Voraus' (ahead/in advance) also functions as a separable prefix for many verbs. Examples are 'vorausgehen' (to go ahead), 'voraussehen' (to foresee), or 'voraussagen' (to predict). The prefix always keeps the meaning of 'beforehand' or 'forward/ahead'.
EXAMPLE
Niemand konnte diese Entwicklung voraussehen.
No one could foresee this development.
Fixed expression
The expression 'im Voraus' (in advance) is a fixed phrase and means 'beforehand' or 'in advance'. It is often used together with verbs like 'bezahlen' (to pay), 'danken' (to thank), or 'planen' (to plan).
EXAMPLE
Vielen Dank im Voraus für Ihre Hilfe!
Thank you in advance for your help!
Figurative meaning
The phrase 'jemandem oder seiner Zeit voraus sein' (to be ahead of someone or one's time) means that someone is more progressive, smarter, or more innovative than others. It describes an intellectual or conceptual lead.
EXAMPLE
Mit ihren Ideen zur Nachhaltigkeit war sie ihrer Zeit um Jahre voraus.
With her ideas about sustainability, she was years ahead of her time.
Compare with
voraus vs vorher
beforehand
'vorher' and 'im Voraus' both mean that something happens before another point in time. 'vorher' is very general and fits almost all everyday situations: you do something before an appointment, before a meal, or before a trip. 'voraus' by itself often has a spatial meaning, so for the time-related meaning people usually mean 'im Voraus'. Learners may confuse the words because both can mean 'earlier' in terms of time. As a simple rule: for normal time references, 'vorher' is almost always correct; 'im Voraus' sounds especially natural with planning, payment, registration, or thanks.
voraus
Bitte bezahlen Sie die Kursgebühr eine Woche im Voraus.
Please pay the course fee one week in advance.
vorher
Noah ruft vorher an, damit seine Eltern zu Hause sind.
Noah calls beforehand so that his parents are at home.
In real life
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