This is the 99th most frequent Estonian word.
varem
"Varem" means "earlier" or "previously" in English.
Here, 'varem' is used to indicate that the action of doing the work occurred at a prior time.
Ma olen seda tööd teinud varem.
I have done this work before.
In this sentence, 'varem' is utilized to describe a time in the past as being the context for the description of the weather.
Varem oli ilm palju külmem.
Earlier, the weather was much colder.
The word 'varem' is used to inquire if the action of being here has occurred at a previous moment in time.