vorbei
over
Indicates the end of a period of time, an event, or a state; past, finished.
EXAMPLE
Die schlimmste Zeit ist jetzt vorbei.
The worst time is over now.
vorbei
over / past
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Meanings
vorbei
past
Expresses a movement that goes along or past a point or place without stopping there.
EXAMPLE
Der Zug fährt direkt am Fenster vorbei.
The train goes right past the window.
Usage tips
As a separable prefix
'Vorbei' is a very common separable prefix for verbs of movement. In verbs like 'vorbeikommen' (to come by), 'vorbeigehen' (to walk past), or 'vorbeifahren' (to drive past), 'vorbei' indicates the direction: along or past something or someone.
EXAMPLE
Kannst du später kurz bei mir vorbeikommen?
Can you come by my place briefly later?
Fixed combination with 'sein'
To express that something is finished or past, 'vorbei' is almost always used together with the verb 'sein' (to be). The subject is the time period or the event.
EXAMPLE
Endlich ist die Prüfung vorbei!
Finally, the exam is over!
Sentence structure with 'an'
When a movement goes past a place, that place is often indicated with the preposition 'an' and the dative. The pattern is: verb + an + place (dative) + vorbei.
EXAMPLE
Jeden Morgen gehe ich auf dem Weg zur Arbeit an einem schönen Park vorbei.
Every morning on my way to work, I walk past a beautiful park.
Compare with
vorbei vs dahin
there / gone
Vorbei and dahin can both indicate that a period of time or a state has ended. Vorbei primarily states that something is over. Dahin often also suggests that something has been lost and cannot be regained, which is why it is suitable for a regretted loss.
vorbei
Nach dem letzten warmen Tag war der Sommer vorbei.
After the last warm day, summer was over.
dahin
Nach dem letzten warmen Tag war der schöne Sommer dahin.
After the last warm day, the beautiful summer was gone.
In real life
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