der Vortag
previous day
The day immediately before a specific, named day.
EXAMPLE
Am Vortag seiner Prüfung war er sehr nervös und konnte kaum schlafen.
On the previous day of his exam, he was very nervous and could hardly sleep.
der Vortag
previous day
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
Usage tips
Word composition
The word is made up of the preposition 'vor' (before) and the noun 'Tag' (day). So it literally refers to the day 'before' a specific event.
EXAMPLE
Die Vorbereitungen für die Feier liefen schon am Vortag auf Hochtouren.
Preparations for the celebration were already in full swing on the previous day.
Use with 'am'
In most cases, 'Vortag' (previous day) is used in the fixed phrase 'am Vortag' (on the previous day) to indicate a point in time.
EXAMPLE
Am Vortag der Abreise hat sie noch schnell die Koffer gepackt.
On the day before departure, she quickly packed the suitcases.
Relative time reference
'Vortag' (previous day) is a relative word. It always means the day before a specific date or event mentioned in the context, not simply 'yesterday'.
EXAMPLE
Die Konferenz begann am Mittwoch. Am Vortag gab es bereits ein informelles Treffen.
The conference began on Wednesday. On the previous day, there had already been an informal meeting.
Compare with
Vortag vs gestern
yesterday
Gestern always refers to the day before today. Der Vortag, on the other hand, refers to the day before another day known from the context. Use gestern when looking back from today; when there is a stated reference day, use der Vortag.
Vortag
Sie ist am Vortag der Sitzung angekommen.
She arrived the day before the meeting.
gestern
Sie ist gestern für die heutige Sitzung angekommen.
She arrived yesterday for today’s meeting.
In real life
Loading video examples...