〜前に
Formation
Meaning
Used to indicate that an action or event occurs prior to another action or a specific point in time.
Note
A fundamental temporal expression. When used with verbs, it always follows the dictionary form, even if the overall sentence is in the past (e.g., '寝る前に本を読んだ'). When used with nouns, it requires 'の' ('食事の前に'). When used with duration (counter) nouns, it can follow the noun directly to mean 'ago' ('1時間前に'). It is the direct opposite of '〜後で' (after).
Examples
寝る前に、本を読みます。
I read a book before going to sleep.
日本へ来る前に、日本語を勉強しました。
I studied Japanese before coming to Japan.
食事の前に、手を洗います。
Wash your hands before the meal.
会議の前に、この資料を読んでください。
Please read this material before the meeting.
１時間前に、ここに来ました。
I came here one hour ago.
３日前に、その本を買いました。
I bought that book three days ago.