German Time Prepositions A1.2: Vor, Nach, In, Für

Four more prepositions and you'll have covered nearly everything you need to talk about time in German at a beginner level. This lesson adds vor, nach, in and für to the 5 time prepositions from the A1.1 lesson, rounding out 9 of the most useful time prepositions for A1 level. Vor and Nach — Before and After Vor expresses 'before' or 'ago' depending on context: 'vor dem Essen' (before the meal), 'vor zwei Jahren' (two years ago). Nach expresses 'after': 'nach der Arbeit' (after work). In and Für — Time Within and Time Duration In is used to express a future point in time, similar to 'in' in English: 'in einer Woche' (in a week). Für expresses a planned or intended duration: 'für zwei Wochen' (for two weeks) — even if the actual duration later turns out differently. Frequently Asked Questions What's the difference between vor and nach? Vor means 'before' or 'ago', depending on context, while nach means 'after' — vor dem Essen is before the meal, and nach der Arbeit is after work. When does vor mean 'ago' instead of 'before'? Vor means 'ago' when it's paired with a duration going back from now, like 'vor zwei Jahren' (two years ago), and 'before' when it's placed relative to an event, like 'vor dem Essen'. How is für different from von...bis for talking about duration? Für expresses a planned or intended duration, regardless of whether it turns out exactly that way, while von...bis states a clear, defined start and end point. Do these 4 prepositions complete the A1-level time prepositions? Together with um, im, am, ab and von...bis from the A1.1 lesson, these bring the total to 9 of the most useful time prepositions for A1-level German. What's a good way to practice vor, nach, in and für? Describe your own routine using each one — what you do before and after work, what you'll do in a week, and how long you plan to do something for.

Want to keep building your German time expressions from the start? Our A1 German course covers the full picture. { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "What's the difference between vor and nach?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Vor means 'before' or 'ago', depending on context, while nach means 'after' — vor dem Essen is before the meal, and nach der Arbeit is after work." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "When does vor mean 'ago' instead of 'before'?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Vor means 'ago' when it's paired with a duration going back from now, like 'vor zwei Jahren' (two years ago), and 'before' when it's placed relative to an event, like 'vor dem Essen'." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How is für different from von...bis for talking about duration?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Für expresses a planned or intended duration, regardless of whether it turns out exactly that way, while von...bis states a clear, defined start and end point." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do these 4 prepositions complete the A1-level time prepositions?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Together with um, im, am, ab and von...bis from the A1.1 lesson, these bring the total to 9 of the most useful time prepositions for A1-level German." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What's a good way to practice vor, nach, in and für?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Describe your own routine using each one — what you do before and after work, what you'll do in a week, and how long you plan to do something for." } } ] }