varasem

Varasem is an Estonian adjective meaning earlier or previous. It is used to describe things that occurred before in time or that belong to an earlier point in a sequence, such as events, versions, data, or statements.

In everyday and formal usage, varasem appears in phrases like varasem versioon (the earlier version) or varasemad andmed (earlier data). It is also used to compare items in time, for example, see varasem kui (earlier than) when forming comparative clauses. While varasem can have broad applicability, it is especially common in written language, reports, academic writing, and historical narration.

As with other Estonian adjectives, varasem inflects for number and case to agree with the noun it modifies. For example, varasem versioon is used for a single earlier version, varasema versiooni for the genitive singular, and varasemad versioonid for multiple earlier versions. Its forms change to match the noun’s case and number in a sentence, ensuring grammatical agreement within the phrase.

Etymologically, varasem is derived from the notion of preceding or preceding time, aligning with related concepts of chronology and sequence in Estonian. The word is a standard element in the language’s descriptive toolkit for marking temporal order and is widely understood across registers, from everyday speech to formal discourse.