previous year
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previous year
The year that comes immediately before the current year or a specified year.
Die Firma konnte ihren Gewinn im Vergleich zum Vorjahr deutlich steigern.
The company was able to significantly increase its profit compared with the previous year.
The word is made up of the preposition 'vor' (before) and the noun 'Jahr' (year). So it literally means the 'year before.' This pattern is also found in 'Vortag' (previous day), 'Vormonat' (previous month), and 'Vorwoche' (previous week).
Die Zahlen sind besser als am Vortag.
The numbers are better than on the previous day.
'Vorjahr' (previous year) is very often used as a time expression with the preposition 'im' (in). The fixed phrase 'im Vergleich zum Vorjahr' (compared with the previous year) is especially common in economic or statistical contexts.
Im Vorjahr war der Winter deutlich kälter.
In the previous year, the winter was significantly colder.
The word is often used together with numbers and economic terms. Typical verbs are 'steigen' (to rise), 'sinken' (to fall), 'wachsen' (to grow), or 'zurückgehen' (to decline), often in relation to 'Umsatz' (revenue), 'Gewinn' (profit), or 'Exporte' (exports).
Der Umsatz des Unternehmens ist gegenüber dem Vorjahr um fünf Prozent gestiegen.
The company's revenue rose by five percent compared with the previous year.
following year
'das Vorjahr' and 'das Folgejahr' are exact opposites in terms of time. 'Das Vorjahr' is the year directly before the current or named year. 'Das Folgejahr' is the year directly after it. Both words are often used in reports, statistics, or planning when comparing years. The important thing is the reference point: for 2024, 2023 is 'das Vorjahr' (the previous year) and 2025 is 'das Folgejahr' (the following year).
Der Umsatz war höher als im Vorjahr.
Revenue was higher than in the previous year.
Die Firma plant den Umzug erst für das Folgejahr.
The company is not planning the move until the following year.