01
vorn
at the front
At the front side or at the beginning of something.
example
Im Kino sitze ich am liebsten nicht ganz vorn.
At the cinema, I prefer not to sit right at the front.
vorn
front
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
The adverb 'vorn' (at the front) belongs to the word family of 'vor' (before/in front of). It describes a position at the front side or at the beginning of something and helps you understand where the meaning comes from.
EXAMPLE
Bitte stellen Sie sich in der Schlange ganz vorn an.
Please stand right at the front of the line.
Position vs. direction
'Vorn' (at the front) describes a static position (question: Where?). For movement toward the front (question: Where to?), you use the combination 'nach vorn' (forward).
EXAMPLE
Er sitzt im Bus immer vorn.
He always sits at the front of the bus.
Typical collocations
The phrase 'von vorn' (from the beginning) is often combined with verbs such as 'anfangen' (to start), 'beginnen' (to begin), or 'erzählen' (to tell). It means that an action is started completely anew.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe den Faden verloren, ich muss die Geschichte noch einmal von vorn erzählen.
I lost my train of thought; I have to tell the story again from the beginning.
Figurative meaning
The combination 'nach vorn' (forward) is often used figuratively and then means 'into the future'. Typical phrases are 'nach vorn schauen' or 'nach vorn blicken' (to look ahead/forward).
EXAMPLE
Nach der schwierigen Zeit möchte sie jetzt nur noch nach vorn schauen.
After the difficult time, she now just wants to look forward.
Compare with
vorn vs zurück
back
'zurück' and 'vorn' can be opposites when talking about direction or position. 'zurück' indicates movement back to the starting point or a position behind something. 'vorn' means at the front or toward the front. Learners may confuse the words because both are often used for movement and orientation. The perspective is important: 'zurück' goes backward or back to an earlier place, while 'vorn' is at the beginning or at the front in a space. In phrases like 'nach vorn' (forward), the view or movement is forward, not back.
vorn
Luis stellt das neue Regal vorn ins Zimmer, damit man es sofort sieht.
Luis puts the new shelf at the front of the room so that people see it right away.
zurück
Nach dem Einkauf ist Maria noch einmal zurück zum Supermarkt gegangen, weil sie ihr Handy vergessen hatte.
After shopping, Maria went back to the supermarket because she had forgotten her phone.
In real life
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