temporary / provisional
Loading your saved state.
temporary / provisional
Something that applies only for a limited time and is not final; temporary or provisional.
Sie erhielt eine vorläufige Aufenthaltsgenehmigung für sechs Monate.
She received a temporary residence permit for six months.
The word is derived from 'vor' (before/ahead) and 'laufen' (to run). So it describes something that 'runs ahead' of the final version. This idea helps you understand that it refers to a temporary, not yet final state.
Das ist nur ein vorläufiger Entwurf, wir können noch alles ändern.
This is only a preliminary draft; we can still change everything.
'Vorläufig' can stand before a noun as an adjective or be used as an adverb. As an adverb, it means 'for the moment' or 'for the time being' and often appears at the beginning of the sentence, which changes the word order in the sentence (inversion).
Das ist eine vorläufige Lösung des Problems.
That is a temporary solution to the problem.
The word is very common in official and administrative language. Typical combinations are 'vorläufiges Ergebnis' (preliminary result), 'vorläufiger Personalausweis' (temporary ID card), 'vorläufige Festnahme' (provisional arrest), or 'vorläufiger Plan' (provisional plan).
Nach der Wahl gab es am Abend nur ein vorläufiges Ergebnis.
After the election, there was only a preliminary result in the evening.
first / for now
'zunächst' and 'vorläufig' can both show that something is not final. However, the words are different grammatically and in how they are used. 'zunächst' is an adverb and describes how long something applies or in which phase it applies: for now. 'vorläufig' is usually an adjective and describes a thing, for example a solution, decision, or commitment. Learners may confuse them because both make a later change possible. A practical tip: 'zunächst' fits with an action or situation, while 'vorläufig' often fits directly with a noun.
In der Werkstatt bekommt der Kunde einen vorläufigen Preis genannt.
At the repair shop, the customer is given a provisional price.
Sie lernt zunächst allein, bevor sie sich im Sommer für einen Kurs anmeldet.
She studies on her own at first before signing up for a course in the summer.