From Middle High German *vorhine*, a compound of *vor* ("before, in front of") and *hin* (a directional particle indicating movement away or a point in time). The combination narrowed over centuries to mean specifically "a short while ago" within the same day — contrasting with *früher* (earlier in a more general or distant sense).

German distinguishes finely between "vorhin" (just a little while ago, same day), "früher" (earlier / in the past, more broadly), and "neulich" (recently, within the last days or weeks). Using "vorhin" for something that happened last week, or "neulich" for something five minutes ago, sounds unnatural to native speakers — a common slip for learners of all backgrounds.