German · Time, Numbers & Colors
"Yesterday" in German: gestern
gestern
Yesterday in German is gestern. Yesterday evening is gestern Abend. The day before yesterday is vorgestern. It often pairs with past-tense verbs.
Catching up
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How to pronounce gestern
Say it
GES-tern
/ˈɡɛstɐn/
GES-tern. Short e. Soft r in -ern. Stress the first syllable.
"Yesterday" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| gestern | yesterday Default adverb. | Default adverb. |
| gestern Abend | yesterday evening Common time phrase. | Common time phrase. |
| vorgestern | the day before yesterday One day further back. | One day further back. |
| seit gestern | since yesterday From yesterday until now. | From yesterday until now. |
How to use gestern in real life
- 1Catching up
Was hast du gestern gemacht?
What did you do yesterday?
Perfect tense is common in speech.
- 2About weather
Gestern war es kälter.
Yesterday it was colder.
War is simple past of sein.
- 3Apologising
Gestern konnte ich nicht anrufen.
Yesterday I couldn't call.
Konnte is past of können.
Mistakes English speakers make with gestern
Incorrect: Gestern ich war müde.
Correct: Gestern war ich müde.
Verb second: Gestern war ich…
Incorrect: yesterday Abend
Correct: gestern Abend
Keep the whole phrase in German.
Good to know
Spoken German often uses the perfect with gestern: Was hast du gestern gemacht? Simple past (war, hatte, konnte) still appears a lot with common verbs.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Talking about a concert you missed
ChatPal
Warst du gestern auf dem Konzert?
Were you at the concert yesterday?
You
Nein, gestern war ich krank.
No, yesterday I was sick.
ChatPal
Schade. Gestern war die Band super.
Pity. Yesterday the band was great.
You
Argh. Nächstes Mal — gestern war Pech.
Argh. Next time — yesterday was bad luck.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Yesterday" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Yesterday" in German
How do you say the day before yesterday?
Vorgestern.
Do I need the past tense with gestern?
Usually yes. Speakers favour past or perfect forms for finished yesterday events.
What does gestern Abend mean?
Yesterday evening / last night in many casual contexts.
Can gestern start a sentence?
Yes: Gestern habe ich… Remember the verb comes second.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
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- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
