What does “nach wie vor” mean in German?

Wie wir uns im Laufe des Lebens verändern

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B1 German listening practice · German · Picked for people who know some

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nach wie vor
Still — but more deliberate than "noch"
“nach wie vor” means “still” or “just like before” — something hasn’t changed even though time has passed.

A woman talks about how she’s changed over the years, then says she’s “nach wie vor” trying to live her life in an honest way. The phrase means “still,” but with extra weight — she’s stressing that this one thing has stayed the same through all the change. It feels more deliberate than a plain “noch.” Use “nach wie vor” when you want to point out that something genuinely hasn’t shifted, even after a lot of time.

Spoken: “ich versuch nach wie vor mein Leben authentisch zu leben” — “I’m still trying to live my life in an honest way.” Word for word it’s “after as before,” but it just means “still / just like before.” It often signals: a lot has changed, yet this part didn’t. More examples: “Das Problem besteht nach wie vor.” — “The problem is still there.” “Sie ist nach wie vor meine beste Freundin.” — “She’s still my best friend.” It sounds a bit more formal and intentional than “noch,” so you’ll hear it a lot in interviews and serious talk.

How common are the words?

How common are the words in this B1 German listening practice video?

96.7%
of words are in the top 2,000 most common German words
Most of the words in this video are common German words.

How common in written German

90.8%
Top 1,000
96.7%
Top 2,000
97.8%
Top 5,000

How common in spoken German

93.6%
Top 1,000
98.8%
Top 2,000
100%
Top 5,000

Harder words in this video

These words are harder than B1. Here is what they mean.

geduldiger
1×
Not in top 5,000
more patient
klarkomm
1×
Not in top 5,000
(fragment of klarkommen)
unsicherer
1×
Not in top 5,000
more uncertain, insecure
hinterfragt
1×
Not in top 5,000
questioned; challenged
boah
1×
Not in top 5,000
wow, ugh; An expression of annoyance or exasperation or disgust.

Source: wordfreq 3.1.1 (general) · SUBTLEX-DE 2011 (spoken). These numbers are close, not perfect.

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