verb
to read aloud, to read to someone
B1
vorlesen is a separable strong verb meaning 'to read aloud' or 'to read to someone'. It uses haben as auxiliary (Perfekt: habe vorgelesen). Irregular stem change: du/er liest vor (e→ie), preterite las, Partizip II vorgelesen. Not reflexive; common in storytelling or lessons.
Examples
Ich habe die Nachrichten vorgelesen.
I read the news aloud.
Die Lehrerin liest das Gedicht laut vor.
The teacher reads the poem aloud.
Meine Mutter liest mir jeden Abend eine Geschichte vor.
My mother reads me a story every evening.
Details
Mnemonics
Picture someone standing in front of a class, holding a book and pushing words forward with their voice (the prefix 'vor' like 'forward').
Sounds like 'for lesson' (vor + lesen) — imagine reading for a lesson.
Notes
Vorlesen is a separable verb (the prefix 'vor-' separates in main clauses: 'sie liest ... vor'). It uses 'haben' as auxiliary in perfect tenses (hat vorgelesen). The stem vowel changes from e to ie in du/er forms (du liest, er liest); preterite is 'las' and participle 'vorgelesen'.