Why do I need to know vorstellen?
Because once you know vorstellen, we can guarantee that this verb is bound to become an indispensable part of your German vocabulary, coming in handy anywhere from job applications to casual conversation.
What does it mean?
Depending on some small changes to grammar in the sentence, vorstellen (pronounced like this) can have completely different meanings.
The first, which is used with the object of the sentence, means to present or to introduce yourself – and this is the version you may have already heard in German meetings or when starting a new German course.
It’s in this sense that the word is used in das Vorstellungsgespräch, which literally means introductory conversation and is the German word for job interview. In many ways, this a nice way to think about the process, especially if you’re feeling nervous: you’re not being grilled on your work history and qualifications, you’re really just getting to know each other!
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If you use the reflexive construction sich vorstellen and the dative (i.e. mir, dir, Ihnen), vorstellen means to imagine or envision something.
This is often used by Germans to talk about something they do – or do not – find a realistic possibility, which also indicates whether they would – or would not – like to do something.
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For example, “Ich kann mir gut vorstellen, mit dir ins Ausland zu reisen”, would hint that the person speaking thinks travelling abroad with you might be quite a pleasant thing to do.
Incidentally, there’s also a far more literal meaning of vorstellen, which quite literally means to set (stellen) something forwards (vor). This is the meaning you’ll need at least once a year at the start of summer when Europeans like to set their clocks forward by an hour.
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Use it like this:
Darf ich Herrn Stein kurz vorstellen? Er ist der neue Buchhalter.
May I briefly introduce Mr Stein? He’s our new accountant.
So habe ich mir das nicht vorgestellt.
That’s not how I imagined it.
Jedes Jahr im März stellen wir die Uhr vor.
Every year in March, we set the clock forward.
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