letztes Jahr
The English phrase "last year" is translated into German as letztes Jahr. Wiktionary also lists im vergangenen Jahr and voriges Jahr.
Meaning: year before this one (adv)
Ways to say it
| German |
|---|
| letztes Jahr |
| im vergangenen Jahr |
| voriges Jahr |
The phrase refers to the year immediately preceding the current one.
What does it mean word for word?
The word Jahr (year) is a neuter noun in German.
Which one should you use?
voriges Jahr is slightly more formal than letztes Jahr and is often used when comparing one specific year to the one immediately preceding it in a sequence. im vergangenen Jahr is a more formal way to say "last year" and is often used in written reports or news.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form letztes Jahr is used in the accusative case to indicate a point in time without a preposition.
Did you know?
- The German word Jahr is a linguistic relative of the English word 'year' and also a 'doublet' of the German word Uhr, which means 'clock' or 'hour'.
- The term vergangenen in im vergangenen Jahr literally translates to 'passed' or 'gone by', treating the year as something that has physically moved away.
- In very formal German legal or administrative documents, you might see the year referred to as das Vorjahr, turning the concept of 'last year' into a single noun.
Examples in context
- Das war letztes Jahr.It was last year.This sentence shows how to identify a past event using letztes Jahr.Tatoeba #11999027 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #3361982 by CM
- Er starb letztes Jahr.He died last year.This sentence demonstrates using letztes Jahr to describe the timing of a death.Tatoeba #2309223 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2266203 by _undertoad
- Es passierte letztes Jahr.It happened last year.This sentence shows how to use letztes Jahr to describe when something happened.Tatoeba #5751840 by wolfgangth, translation #5751805 by Catriona
- Im letzten Jahr habe ich viel gereist.Last year, I traveled a lot.
- Im Vorjahr haben wir unsere Umsatzziele erreicht.Last year, we achieved our sales targets.
- Letztes Jahr war das Wetter fantastisch!Last year, the weather was fantastic!
- Ich habe vergangenes Jahr viel Zeit mit meiner Familie verbracht.I spent a lot of time with my family last year.
- Letztes Jahr habe ich meinen Geburtstag groß gefeiert.Last year, I celebrated my birthday in a big way.
- 360 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Hannah are talking about their recent travels.
- JulianWarst du letztes Jahr in Spanien?Were you in Spain last year?
- HannahNein, ich war letztes Jahr in Frankreich.No, I was in France last year.
- JulianHat dir der Urlaub dort gefallen?Did you like the holiday there?
- HannahJa, es war eine tolle Reise.Yes, it was a great trip.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “last year” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Jahr, im, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
