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.

Ich werde dich sehen, bevor du gehst.

I will see you before you leave.

Wir müssen unsere Arbeit vor dem Termin beenden.

We have to finish our work before the deadline.

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.

Ich hatte vorher zu Mittag gegessen, bevor ich mich mit ihm traf.

I had lunch before I met with him.

Er hatte drei Jahre lang Deutsch studiert, bevor er nach Berlin zog.

He studied German for three years before he moved to Berlin.

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.

Ich werde meine Arbeit beenden, bevor ich gehe.

I will finish my work before I leave.

Du musst deine Schuhe ausziehen, bevor du ins Haus kommst.

You need to take off your shoes before you come into the house.