previously
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previously
Refers to a point in time or period of time before a specific event or before the moment of speaking. It is often used to describe an earlier action or an earlier state.
Er kam um 15 Uhr an; kurz zuvor hatte es stark geregnet.
He arrived at 3 p.m.; shortly before that, it had rained heavily.
The adverb 'zuvor' (previously) is made up of the words 'zu' and 'vor'. It describes a point in time that comes before another event that has already been mentioned.
Wir trafen uns um 18 Uhr. Ich war schon kurz zuvor da.
We met at 6 p.m. I was already there shortly beforehand.
'Zuvor' (previously) can appear in different positions in the sentence. In position 1, it introduces the sentence and the verb follows directly. At the end of the sentence, it emphasizes the time aspect.
Zuvor hatte sie nie darüber nachgedacht.
Previously, she had never thought about it.
'Zuvor' (previously) is often used in written language and in narratives to create a clear sequence of events. It often sounds somewhat more formal than other time adverbs.
Er reiste nach Berlin. Zwei Jahre zuvor hatte er dort studiert.
He traveled to Berlin. Two years earlier, he had studied there.
'Zuvor' (previously) is often combined with other time expressions to define the time interval more precisely. Typical combinations are 'kurz zuvor' (shortly before), 'am Tag zuvor' (the day before), or 'wenige Stunden zuvor' (a few hours earlier).
Sie hat die Prüfung bestanden. Am Abend zuvor war sie sehr nervös gewesen.
She passed the exam. The evening before, she had been very nervous.
beforehand
Vorher and zuvor both refer to an earlier action or state. Vorher is neutral and common in everyday speech, while zuvor usually sounds somewhat more formal and literary. The difference in timing is normally the same.
Die Patientin war zuvor beim Arzt, heißt es im Bericht.
The patient had previously been to the doctor, the report says.
Ich war vorher noch beim Arzt, sagte Nina.
I had just been to the doctor, Nina said.
