Polyglot Dictionary

vorstellen

/ˈfoːɐ̯ˌʃtɛlən/

verb A2

der (masc.) die (fem.) das (neut.)

Underline = a spelling pattern that usually signals that gender.

V Register Neutral Era Current Frequency Core Domain General Tone Neutral

Forms

present (3rd sg.)
stellt vor
past
stellte vor
perfect
hat vorgestellt

Meaning

  1. to introduce (someone)

    vor ("before") + stellen ("to place") — literally to place a person before others.

  2. to imagine (sich etwas vorstellen)

    The same image, turned inward: to place something before your own mind's eye.

    • Ich kann mir das gut vorstellen.

      I can easily imagine that.

    • Ich kann mir gut vorstellen, wie schwer das für dich war. Du hast das wirklich toll gemacht.

      I can well imagine how hard that was for you. You really did it wonderfully.

V Category Action Concreteness Concrete Agency Voluntary Duration Durative Transitivity Transitive

Made of

  • vor before
  • stellen to place, to put

Similar words

einführen

vorstellen introduces people to each other, or imagines something. einführen introduces concepts, systems, products, or rules — "eine neue Regel einführen" (to introduce a new rule) — never a person being greeted.

Practice

1 What does vorstellen mean?

2 Fill the gap: Darf ich Ihnen meinen Kollegen ___?

3 Which fingerprint chart matches vorstellen?

verbcompoundseparable-prefixeveryday

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