nounnoun
der Vorgänger, –
predecessor
Eine Person oder Sache, die eine Aufgabe, Rolle oder Position schon vor jemand anderem hatte.
The German word "Vorgänger" is a noun meaning "predecessor" or "forerunner". It is made up of:
- "Vor" meaning "before" or "preceding"
- "Gänger" from "gehen" meaning "goer" or "one who goes"
So "Vorgänger" literally means "one who went before."
Similar words:
- Nachfolger (successor) — the one who comes after
- Vorläufer (forerunner, precursor) — something that anticipates or precedes another
Difference:
- Vorgänger specifically refers to a previous person or thing in a position or sequence.
- Vorläufer often denotes something more like an early model or precursor, not necessarily a direct predecessor.
- Nachfolger is the opposite, indicating the following person or thing.
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Examples
Er war mein Vorgänger im Amt.noun
He was my predecessor in office.
Der Vorgänger hat viel Erfahrung gesammelt.noun
The predecessor gained a lot of experience.
Sein Vorgänger war sehr erfahren.noun
His predecessor was very experienced.
Der Vorgänger hatte andere Methoden.noun
The predecessor had different methods.
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