Seit or Vor? Since, For and Ago in German

English has three words for what German does with two: since, for and ago. In this lesson you learn when to use seit and when to use vor, which key features each one has, and how to stop picking the wrong one.

Why Since, For and Ago Confuse English Speakers

In English, "since", "for" and "ago" all describe time, but they behave very differently and are easy to mix up. German makes life simpler: you only need seit or vor. Both are prepositions that take the Dativ, so the noun that follows changes accordingly (seit zwei Jahren, vor einer Woche).

The Preposition "vor" (ago)

Use vor for something that happened at a point in the past, counted back from now. The action is finished, so you normally use Perfekt or Präteritum.

• Ich habe vor zwei Jahren mit Deutsch angefangen. (I started German two years ago.)
• Er ist vor einer Woche umgezogen. (He moved a week ago.)
• Vor drei Monaten waren wir in Wien. (Three months ago we were in Vienna.)

The Preposition "seit" (since / for)

Use seit for something that started in the past and is still going on. That is the big difference from English: German uses the present tense here, not the perfect.

• Ich lerne seit zwei Jahren Deutsch. (I have been learning German for two years.)
• Sie wohnt seit 2019 in Taipeh. (She has lived in Taipei since 2019.)
• Wir warten seit einer Stunde. (We have been waiting for an hour.)

A Quick Way to Choose

Ask yourself: is the action finished or still running? Finished and counted back from today means vor. Still running means seit. For more time prepositions, see our posts on the top 5 time prepositions for A1.1, vor, nach, in and für and seit, zwischen, über and von...an. Note that seit also works as a conjunction, which we cover in Seit & bis as German conjunctions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between seit and vor in German?

Vor means "ago" and refers to a finished action in the past. Seit means "since" or "for" and refers to something that began in the past and continues now.

Which case do seit and vor take?

Both take the Dativ when used as time prepositions, for example seit einem Monat and vor zwei Tagen.

Which tense do I use with seit?

Usually the present tense: Ich wohne seit drei Jahren hier. German does not use a perfect tense for ongoing situations the way English does.

How do I say "two years ago" in German?

Vor zwei Jahren. The number goes before the noun and the noun takes a Dativ plural ending.

Can vor mean something other than ago?

Yes. Vor also means "before" (vor dem Essen), "in front of" and "of/with" in some expressions. In this lesson the focus is its time meaning "ago".

Want to build these prepositions into full sentences? Our A1 German course practises them step by step.