adverb

fortan

from now on · henceforth

Von jetzt an oder ab einem bestimmten Zeitpunkt in der Zukunft.

Definition & meaning

The German word fortan is an adverb used to describe a point in time from which something begins and continues indefinitely into the future. It is most commonly translated into English as "from now on," "henceforth," or "from that time forward."

It implies a permanent change or a new state of affairs that starts at a specific moment. While it often refers to the present moment (from now on), it can also be used in narrative contexts to describe a starting point in the past (from then on). This word is considered somewhat formal or literary and is less common in casual spoken German than its synonyms.

Grammar & Word origin

Grammatically, fortan is an adverb. It does not change its form regardless of its position in a sentence.

The word is a compound of two elements:

fort: Meaning "away," "onward," or "forth."
an: In this temporal context, it indicates a starting point or a beginning.

Historically, it emerged from Middle High German vortan, which combined the sense of moving forward with a specific starting point.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

ab jetzt : The most common everyday equivalent, meaning "starting now."
von nun an : A very common phrase meaning "from now on."
hinfür : An archaic or highly formal synonym.
zukünftig : Meaning "in the future" or "henceforth."
weiterhin : Meaning "furthermore" or "still," though it implies continuation rather than just a starting point.