das Vorkommen, –
occurrence
Definition & meaning
Vorkommen has two closely related uses: it is both a noun and the infinitive of the separable verb vorkommen.
1. das Vorkommen — occurrence, presence, or deposit
As a noun, das Vorkommen means that something exists, appears, or can be found somewhere.
- das Vorkommen von seltenen Tieren — the occurrence/presence of rare animals
- Das Vorkommen dieser Pflanze ist auf wenige Regionen beschränkt. — The occurrence of this plant is limited to a few regions.
It can also mean a natural deposit or reserve, especially of raw materials:
- ein Erdölvorkommen — an oil deposit
- reiche Goldvorkommen — rich gold deposits
The plural is die Vorkommen, especially when referring to several deposits or places where something occurs.
2. vorkommen — to occur, appear, or seem
As a verb, vorkommen can mean:
-
to occur or happen:
Solche Fehler kommen häufig vor. — Such mistakes occur frequently. -
to be found or present:
Dieses Tier kommt nur in Asien vor. — This animal is found only in Asia. -
to seem or strike someone as:
Das kommt mir seltsam vor. — That seems strange to me.
Er kommt mir sehr freundlich vor. — He seems very friendly to me.
Grammar & Word origin
Noun
- Article: das Vorkommen
- Plural: die Vorkommen
- Gender: neuter
- Pronunciation: approximately FOR-koh-men
The noun is formed from the verb vorkommen with the prefix vor- and the nominal ending -en.
Verb
vorkommen is a separable verb:
- Infinitive: vorkommen
- Present tense: etwas kommt vor
- Simple past: etwas kam vor
- Perfect: etwas ist vorgekommen
- Past participle: vorgekommen
Examples:
- Das Problem kommt oft vor. — The problem occurs often.
- Das Problem kam schon einmal vor. — The problem occurred once before.
- Der Fehler ist bereits vorgekommen. — The error has already occurred.
The prefix vor- means “before,” “in front,” or, in this verb, contributes the idea of something appearing or presenting itself. kommen means “to come.” Historically, vorkommen therefore suggests something “coming forth” or “appearing.”
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms of the noun
- die Erscheinung — occurrence or appearance; often more general and sometimes used for a phenomenon.
- das Auftreten — occurrence or emergence; frequently used for problems, symptoms, or events.
- die Präsenz — presence; emphasizes that something is present rather than how often it occurs.
- die Lagerstätte — deposit or natural resource site; more specific than Vorkommen and used for minerals and raw materials.
Synonyms of the verb
- geschehen — to happen; generally refers to events, whereas vorkommen can also mean “to be found.”
- passieren — to happen; more conversational and usually used for events or incidents.
- auftreten — to occur or arise; especially common with symptoms, faults, and problems.
- erscheinen — to appear; focuses more on becoming visible or being published.
- scheinen — to seem; this is a synonym only for the meaning “to appear or seem to someone.”
Antonyms
There is no single exact antonym for all meanings of Vorkommen or vorkommen. Depending on the context, possible opposites include:
- fehlen — to be absent or missing; opposite of being present.
- verschwinden — to disappear; opposite of appearing or remaining present.
- ausbleiben — not to occur or fail to happen; opposite of an event occurring.
- nicht auftreten — not to occur or arise, especially for symptoms or problems.
Common phrases & collocations
- häufig vorkommen — to occur frequently
- selten vorkommen — to occur rarely
- in der Natur vorkommen — to occur in nature
- in vielen Ländern vorkommen — to be found in many countries
- Das kommt vor. — That happens. / That is possible.
- Das kommt mir bekannt vor. — That seems familiar to me.
- Das kommt mir komisch vor. — That seems strange to me.
- ein natürliches Vorkommen — a natural occurrence or deposit
- Bodenschätze und Vorkommen — natural resources and deposits
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Examples
Das Vorkommen von Salz hat die Region reich gemacht.noun
The occurrence of salt has made the region rich.
In diesem Gebiet wurden seltene Vorkommen von Mineralien entdeckt.noun
Rare occurrences of minerals were discovered in this area.
In einem aktuellen Bericht wurden ungewöhnliche Vorkommen eines seltenen Gases beschrieben.noun
Unusual occurrences of a rare gas were described in a recent report.
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