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nounnoun

der Vorabend, -e

eve

Definition & meaning

Vorabend means the evening before a particular day or event. It is used similarly to English “eve” or “the preceding evening.”

  • der Vorabend — the evening before
  • am Vorabend — on the preceding evening
  • am Vorabend der Prüfung — on the evening before the exam
  • am Vorabend von Weihnachten — on Christmas Eve

It can also refer more generally to the period immediately before an important event or development:

  • am Vorabend des Krieges — on the eve of the war
  • die Ereignisse am Vorabend der Revolution — the events on the eve of the revolution

Grammar & Word origin

  • Gender: masculine
  • Article: der
  • Plural: die Vorabende
  • Genitive: des Vorabends
  • Dative: dem Vorabend

The word is a compound of:

  • vor — before, in front of
  • der Abend — evening

Literally, Vorabend means “the evening before.”

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

  • der Abend zuvor — the evening before; a natural descriptive alternative
  • der Vortag — the previous day; broader than Vorabend, because it refers to the entire preceding day, not only its evening
  • die Eve — used mainly in fixed expressions or under English influence, such as Christmas Eve

Antonyms

There is no exact direct antonym, but temporal opposites include:

  • der Folgetag — the following day
  • der nächste Tag — the next day

These refer to the time after an event, whereas Vorabend refers to the evening before it.

Common phrases & collocations

  • am Vorabend — on the evening before
  • am Vorabend der Prüfung — on the evening before the exam
  • am Vorabend eines Ereignisses — on the eve of an event
  • der Vorabend von Weihnachten — Christmas Eve
  • auf dem Vorabend — uncommon; usually am Vorabend is preferred

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Examples

Der Vorabend des Festes war sehr ruhig.noun

The eve of the festival was very quiet.

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