前
mae[ma̠e̞]
In Japanese, "ago" is expressed as 前 (mae). Wiktionary also lists 以前に (izen ni).
Meaning: past, gone by, since (postp)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 前 | mae | [ma̠e̞] (narrow) |
| 以前に | izen ni |
The term is used as a postposition to indicate that a certain amount of time has passed or to refer to the past.
What does it mean word for word?
The character 前 literally means "before" or "in front of", which is why it is used to indicate time that has passed before the present.
Which one should you use?
前 is used to specify a particular duration of time that has passed, such as "three days ago". In contrast, 以前に is used more generally to mean "previously" or "in the past" without necessarily counting back from the present moment.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a postposition, 前 must be placed after the time expression it modifies.
How do you pronounce it?
mae
Did you know?
- The word 前 originally combined the word for 'eye' 目 and a word for 'direction' 方. This suggests that 'before' was conceptually linked to where one's eyes were looking.
- The word 前 is used in the term 前任 'former' to describe a previous holder of a position. This treats the person as being located 'before' the current person in a chronological line.
Examples in context
- １時間前に出たよ。He left an hour ago.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 前 with a specific time duration.Tatoeba #235771 by e4zh1nmcz, translation #73151 by CK
- 彼は一年前に死んだ。He died one year ago.This sentence shows how to express a time duration followed by 前.Tatoeba #109874 by bunbuku, translation #293815 by CK
- ずっと前のことです。It was a long time ago.This sentence demonstrates the use of 前 to refer to a long time ago.Tatoeba #11244902 by small_snow, translation #2869124 by Hybrid
- 一時間前 (いちじかんまえ)An hour ago
- 一週間前 (いっしゅうかんまえ)A week ago
- 一年前 (いちねんまえ)A year ago
- ３ヶ月以前 (さんかげついぜん)More than three months ago
- ３週間前 (さんしゅうかんまえ)Three weeks ago
- ５分前 (ごふんまえ)Five minutes ago
- 数時間前に (すうじかんまえに)A few hours ago
- 354 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a cafe they visited.
- 結衣 Yui陽太くん、このカフェ、いつ来たの？Youta-kun, kono kafe, itsu kita no?Youta, when did you come to this cafe?
- 陽太 Yota一時間前に来たよ。Ichijikan mae ni kita yo.I came here an hour ago.
- 結衣 Yuiそうなんだ。美味しい？Sou nanda. Oishii?I see. Is it good?
- 陽太 Yotaうん、すごく美味しいよ。Un, sugoku oishii yo.Yes, it is very delicious.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ago” translations and entries 前, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 前, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
