vorhersagen
predict
Es bedeutet, eine Vermutung über etwas in der Zukunft zu machen, zum Beispiel über das Wetter oder ein Ereignis.
Definition & meaning
vorhersagen means to predict or to forecast—to say in advance what is likely to happen. It can refer to evidence-based predictions, such as weather forecasts, or to more speculative predictions.
- Das Modell sagt einen starken Anstieg vorher. — “The model predicts a sharp increase.”
- Sie sagte voraus, dass es regnen würde. — “She predicted that it would rain.”
Grammar & word origin
vorhersagen is a separable-prefix verb: in a main clause, vor moves to the end (Ich sage es vorher — “I predict it”). Its principal forms are sagt vorher, sagte vorher, and hat vorhergesagt.
It combines vor (“before, in advance”) and sagen (“to say”), so its literal sense is “to say beforehand.” It can take a direct object or a subordinate clause.
Synonyms & antonyms
- voraussagen — “to predict”; very close in meaning and often interchangeable.
- prognostizieren — “to forecast” or “to project”; more formal and often used for expert or data-based predictions.
- prophezeien — “to prophesy”; more dramatic or associated with prophecy.
- weissagen — “to foretell”; often suggests a supernatural or solemn prediction.
There is no direct, general antonym. rückblickend feststellen (“to establish in retrospect”) describes reaching a conclusion after an event rather than predicting it beforehand.
Common phrases & collocations
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Examples
Ihr könnt den Verlauf nicht vorhersagen.verb
You cannot predict the course.
Er kann die Zukunft genau vorhersagen.verb
He can accurately predict the future.
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