〜前に
JLPT N5:before
Says one thing happens before another: "before X, Y".
How to form it
- Put the verb in the dictionary form and add 前に: 寝る前に (before going to bed). The verb stays in the dictionary form even when the sentence is about the past.
- After a noun, add の: 食事の前に (before the meal).
- After a length of time, 前に means "ago": 三年前に (three years ago).
Examples
寝る前に、歯を磨きます。
I brush my teeth before going to bed.
日本に来る前に、少し日本語を勉強しました。
Before I came to Japan, I studied a little Japanese.
Common mistakes
- Using the た-form. Say 寝る前に, not 寝た前に.
Similar meaning
- 〜うちにwhile (still) / before
"Before" a situation changes, while there is still time: 暗くならないうちに (before it gets dark).