der Vorbote
harbinger
A person or thing that announces or points to the imminent occurrence of something.
EXAMPLE
Die ersten warmen Tage sind ein Vorbote des Frühlings.
The first warm days are a harbinger of spring.
der Vorbote
harbinger
der Vorbote, die Vorboten
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Vorbote, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Vorboten |
| genitive | des Vorboten |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Vorbote | die Vorboten |
| accusative | den Vorboten | die Vorboten |
| dative | dem Vorboten | den Vorboten |
| genitive | des Vorboten | der Vorboten |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Compound word
'Vorbote' (harbinger) is made up of 'vor' (before) and 'Bote' (messenger). The first component indicates that someone or something comes ahead of time and points to an upcoming event.
EXAMPLE
Die ungewöhnliche Stille war ein Vorbote des nahenden Gewitters.
The unusual silence was a harbinger of the approaching thunderstorm.
N-declension
'Vorbote' (harbinger) follows the n-declension: except in the nominative singular, the word ends in '-n', as in 'den Vorboten' (the harbinger, accusative), 'dem Vorboten' (the harbinger, dative), 'des Vorboten' (the harbinger, genitive), and in the plural 'die Vorboten' (the harbingers). This also applies when the word refers to a thing.
EXAMPLE
Viele Fachleute sehen in den steigenden Zinsen einen Vorboten der Rezession.
Many experts see rising interest rates as a harbinger of recession.
Die Kraniche am Himmel gehören zu den ersten Vorboten des Herbstes.
The cranes in the sky are among the first harbingers of autumn.
Typical collocations
In the meaning 'erstes Anzeichen' (first sign), 'Vorbote' (harbinger) is often used with seasons, changes, or difficult developments. Typical collocations include 'ein Vorbote des Frühlings' (a harbinger of spring), 'ein Vorbote des Wandels' (a harbinger of change), and 'ein Vorbote einer Krise' (a harbinger of a crisis).
EXAMPLE
Die ersten Knospen sind ein Vorbote des Frühlings.
The first buds are a harbinger of spring.
In real life
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