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
im Voraus
in advance
Beforehand in time; before something else happens or becomes due.
EXAMPLE
Die Miete muss immer am Monatsanfang im Voraus bezahlt werden.
The rent must always be paid in advance at the beginning of the month.
voraus
ahead
Expresses a temporal or intellectual lead.
EXAMPLE
Mit seinen innovativen Ideen war er seiner Zeit weit voraus.
With his innovative ideas, he was far ahead of his time.
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 generally means that something happens earlier than another event. Im Voraus is used especially for planned or advance actions, often before something begins or becomes due. In some situations, both are possible, but im Voraus places more emphasis on taking care of something in good time.
voraus
Wir bezahlen die Kosten für die Feier im Voraus.
We'll pay the costs of the celebration in advance.
vorher
Wir besprechen die Wünsche vorher, kurz bevor die Feier beginnt.
We'll discuss the requests beforehand, shortly before the celebration begins.
In real life
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