German edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

From Middle High German vordenken, vürdenken, from Old High German furidenchen. By surface analysis, vor- (before) +‎ denken (to think). Compare English forethink.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈfoːʁˌdɛŋkən/, [ˈfoːɐ̯ˌdɛŋ.kŋ̍], [ˈfɔɐ̯-], [-k(ə)n]
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: vor‧den‧ken

Verb edit

vordenken (irregular weak, third-person singular present denkt vor, past tense dachte vor, past participle vorgedacht, past subjunctive dächte vor, auxiliary haben)

  1. (intransitive) to think ahead, anticipate, think for the future, be visionary
    Ich hatte vorgedacht und für alle Kinder Ersatzkleidung eingepackt.
    I had thought ahead and had packed spare clothes for all the children.
  2. (transitive) to think (something) first, to shape concepts about (something)
    Wir können nur weiterdenken, was uns die großen Geister der Geschichte vorgedacht haben.
    We can only develop further the concepts that history’s great minds have thought up before us.

Conjugation edit

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Further reading edit

  • vordenken” in Duden online
  • vordenken” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache