How to Say "Before" in Japanese

前に

mae ni

The Japanese word for "before" (in advance of a certain time) is 前に (mae ni).

前に is used as a conjunction to indicate that something occurs in advance of a specific time or event.

Meaning: in advance of the time when (conj)

What does it mean word for word?

The word 'mae' (前) literally means 'front' or 'ahead', and is used to express 'before' in terms of time or space.

When used with a verb to mean 'before doing [verb]', the verb must be in its dictionary form (plain form) followed by 前に.

mae ni

The word 前 is used in the term 前菜 for 'appetizer', literally translating to 'front dish', similar to how 'before' precedes the main course.
While 前に marks 'before', the phrase 前から can be used to mean 'for a long time' or 'since way back', implying a state that has existed from a distant point in the past.
When talking about a person's 'former' job or status, Japanese often uses 前 as a prefix, such as in 前社長 (former president). This turns a word meaning 'before' into a title used to denote a previous position.

７時前にね。
See you a little before 7.
This sentence is useful for specifying a time slightly before 7:00 using 前に.
Tatoeba #234964 by e4zh1nmcz, translation #72341 by Zifre
前にもあったよ。
It happened before.
This sentence is useful for stating that an event occurred previously using 前に.
Tatoeba #9795447 by small_snow, translation #2248726 by CK
郵便は昼前に来る。
The mail arrives before noon.
This sentence is useful for describing the arrival of mail before noon using 前に.
Tatoeba #79184 by small_snow, translation #492877 by Swift
映画を見る前に、本を読みます。
Before watching a movie, I read a book.
昼食の前に友達と会いました。
I met with a friend before lunch.
飛行機に乗る前のチェックは忘れないでください。
Please don't forget the check before getting on the plane.
カフェでランチをする前に、予約をしました。
Before having lunch at the cafe, I made a reservation.
学校に行く前に、宿題を終わらせなければなりません。
I have to finish my homework before going to school.
イタリアへ旅行する前に、イタリア語を勉強しました。
I studied Italian before traveling to Italy.
前の日本語のレッスンはとても楽しかったです。
The previous Japanese lesson was very enjoyable.
旅行する前はワクワクしています。
I'm excited before traveling.
522 more sentences on Tatoeba

Yota and Yui are discussing dinner plans.

陽太 Yota

寝る前に、宿題を終わらせるよ。
Neru mae ni, shukudai o owaraseru yo.
I will finish my homework before I go to bed.
結衣 Yui

じゃあ、その前に夕飯にしよう。
Jaa, sono mae ni yuuhan ni shiyou.
Then, let's have dinner before that.
陽太 Yota

いいよ。何を食べたい？
Ii yo. Nani o tabetai?
Okay. What do you want to eat?
結衣 Yui

パスタが食べたいな。
Pasuta ga tabetai na.
I want to eat pasta.

Sources

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