vorüber

Vorüber is a German adverb that marks something as passing or already completed, often with a sense of transient or fleeting. In modern usage it is most commonly found in fixed expressions and older or literary language, rather than in everyday speech.

Etymology and usage. The word combines the prefixes vor- (before, in front of) and über (over, across), yielding a sense of something that has moved past or gone by. It is frequently used with verbs of motion or change, as in die Stunde ging vorüber (the hour passed by) or der Augenblick ging vorüber (the moment passed). A common phrase is im Vorübergehen, meaning in passing or incidentally. In this sense vorüber can also describe phenomena that are temporary or not lasting.

Noun and derived forms. The noun form das Vorübergehen denotes the act or period of passing by, the transient nature of an event, or a brief interlude. The related adjective vorübergehend means temporary or provisional, and is widely used in contemporary German. The compound vorübergehend often appears in official and formal contexts, such as vorübergehende Maßnahmen (temporary measures).

Usage notes. Vorüber is more characteristic of literary or formal style; in everyday language speakers typically prefer synonyms such as vorbei or kürzlich for “past,” or verwenden vorübergehend for “temporary.” In standard reference works, vorüber is treated as a light adverb with clear sense in phrases like im Vorübergehen or die Zeit ging vorüber.