Before you start
Meet vorgehen
Read how the verb is used, then write your own 10 sentences with it.
Build the meaning
vor- + gehen
- vor-
- ahead or in front
- gehen
- to go
Going ahead is moving in front or making progress.
So vorgehen means to go ahead or proceed; of a clock, to run fast.
A memory aid, not a rule: prefixes change meaning from verb to verb.
Learning approach inspired by this explanation in r/German.
Verb family
More verbs built on gehen
Same base verb, a different prefix, a new meaning.
- ausgehento go out, assume
- eingehento deal with, give attention
- weitergehento go on
- angehento concern, go on
- zurückgehento go back, decrease
- umgehento treat, handle
- hingehento go there
- zugehento approach, close
Separable verb: vor·gehen
In a main clause the prefix vor splits off and goes to the end. After weil, dass and other subordinating words, the verb stays in one piece at the end.
Main clauseBitte gehe zuerst vor.Please go ahead first.
Subordinate clauseWir warten, weil die Polizei vorgeht.We’re waiting because the police are taking action.
Participle: vorgegangenzu-infinitive: vorzugehen
Forms
How vorgehen changes
| Pronoun | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | gehe vor | ging vor |
| du | gehst vor | gingst vor |
| er/sie/es | geht vor | ging vor |
| wir | gehen vor | gingen vor |
| ihr | geht vor | gingt vor |
| Sie | gehen vor | gingen vor |
Partizip II vorgegangen · Perfekt with sein
Three examples
- 1Ich gehe heute langsam vor.I’m proceeding slowly today.present, prefix at the end
- 2Sie ist ohne uns vorgegangen.She went ahead without us.Perfekt with sein
- 3Ich weiß, dass Sicherheit immer vorgeht.I know that safety always comes first.priority, verb at the end
Task 1 of 10 · Build a sentence
Build a German sentence using these words:
vor·gehen + die Uhr
Your challenge
- 1Use the present tense.
- 2Make die Uhr the subject.
Task 2 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
My watchdie Armbanduhr was five minutes fast yesterday, but I didn't noticebemerken it.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 3 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
When I was a childdas Kind, my clockdie Uhr was always five minutes fast.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 4 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
He went ahead because he knew the wayder Weg.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 5 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
We need a plander Plan that tells us how to proceed.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 6 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
You must proceed carefullyvorsichtig when you work with this machinedie Maschine.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 7 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
She decidedbeschließen to take action againstgegen etwas vorgehen the problemdas Problem.
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 8 of 10 · Translate
Translate into German:
Does your clockdie Uhr run fast?
Stuck on a word? Hover or tap an underlined word to see it in German.
Task 9 of 10 · Build a sentence
Build a German sentence using these words:
vor·gehen + obwohl + die Uhr
Your challenge
- 1Start with an obwohl-clause saying the clock is old.
- 2Use a pronoun for die Uhr in the main clause.
- 3Put the main-clause verb before its subject.
Task 10 of 10 · Free writing
Answer in one full German sentence:
How do you usually proceed when you have a problem?
Your challenge
- 1Answer with one sentence using vor·gehen.
- 2Include a wenn-clause.
- 3Say how you proceed.