Vor vs. Vorher vs. Bevor | What's the difference?

In German, there are several words that express the concept of "before" or "prior to". Three of the most common are "vor", "vorher" and "bevor".

While they may seem similar at first glance, there are important differences in their usage. In this blog post, we will explore the differences between these three words and when to use them.

Vor

"Vor" is a preposition that can be translated as "before", "in front of", or "ago". As a conjunction, "vor" is used to indicate that one event takes place before another event. The word order is the same as in English, with the subordinate clause coming first and separated from the main clause by a comma.

Vorher

"Vorher" is an adverb that means "beforehand" or "previously". As a conjunction, "vorher" is used to indicate that something happens before a specific point in time. It is often used with the word "als" to indicate that something happened before another event or point in time. The subordinate clause comes first, followed by the main clause.

Bevor

"Bevor" is a conjunction that means "before" or "prior to". It is used to indicate that one event must happen before another event can take place. The word order is the same as in English, with the subordinate clause coming first and separated from the main clause by a comma.

Dialogue

vorher vs. bevor

Wann willst du zu der Party fahren?

When do you want to go to the party?

In ungefähr 2 Stunden.

In about 2 hours.

Ok, super. Ich denke, ich werde vorher duschen.

Okay, great. I think I'll take a shower beforehand.

Klingt gut! Und ich mache jetzt Essen.

Sounds good! And I'll start cooking now.

Danke! Aber könntest du vielleicht erst das Badezimmer aufräumen, bevor du das machst? Dann könnte ich jetzt schon duschen.

Thank you! But could you maybe clean up the bathroom first before you do that? Then I could shower now.

Okay, kein Problem.

Okay, no problem.

vor vs bevor

vorher vs. vor