Vom

Vom is a German contraction of von dem, meaning from the. It is used before masculine or neuter singular nouns in the dative case to indicate origin, source, or association. For example, vom Mann means from the man, vom Wasser means from the water, and vom Tisch can mean from the table or off the table in certain contexts.

In German grammar, von dem contracts to vom only with masculine or neuter singular nouns in the dative. The feminine singular form is von der, and the plural form is von den. Therefore, you would say vom Mann or vom Haus, but von der Frau, or von den Kindern. The contraction is commonly used in everyday speech and writing, and it also appears in many fixed phrases and idiomatic expressions.

Pronunciation typically reduces the two words to a single syllable, depending on the speaker’s dialect. In formal writing, some authors may choose the unc contracted von dem, especially when aiming for a more careful or traditional register, though vom is widely accepted in formal contexts as well.

The term serves as a practical example of German elision and article contraction, illustrating how definite articles interact with prepositions to produce concise forms. It is distinct from other prepositional contractions such as zum (zu dem) or zum, which follow the same general pattern but with different prepositions.