Before: ～前
Expressing “before” is relatively easier than similar concepts in Japanese grammar. How particles function in relation to ～前 (before), the focus of this lesson, is the same as with any non-deictic time expression. As such, if you need to review, refer back to Lesson 46.
Before: ～前
When used temporally, ～前 means “before/ago.”
1. それはどのくらい前のことでしたか。
How long ago was that?
2. これは11年前の新聞だ。
This is a newspaper from 11 years ago.
3. 彼は3年前に死んだ。
He died three years ago.
4. 彼は3年前に死んでいた。
He had been dead three years prior.
5. 彼は3年前に死んでいる。
It has been three years (ago) since he died.
One peculiarity about this time phrase is that when it forms a dependent clause, the tense of said clause must be in the non-past tense.
6. 食べる前に、手を洗います。
I wash my hands before I eat.
7. 僕が帰る前に、ホストファミリーのお母さんは料理をしました。
Before I got home, my host family mother had cooked.
8. 日本に行く前に、ちょっと日本語を勉強しました。
I studied some Japanese before going to Japan.
9. 私は旅行に行く前に、トラベラーズ･チェックを買いました。
I bought traveler’s checks before I went on my trip.
Phrase Note: 旅行に行く is an example of a tautology (重言), and the correct form of the phrase is 旅行（を）する. This is because 旅行 literally means “going on a trip.” However, 旅行に行く is so prevalent that it is now accepted.
Because ～前 is a noun, though, when the predicate before it is a noun-predicate, the particle の may stand for the copula. In most instances, however, の seems to take the place of the most logical verbal predicate that would otherwise be used.
10. 海外旅行｛の・をする｝前に、パスポートを取りました。
I got a passport before going abroad.
11. 朝ご飯｛の・を食べる｝前に、歯磨きをするのはとても大切な意味があります。
There is very important significance in brushing your teeth before breakfast.
12. ヨーグルトを食事の前に食べるようにしています。
I make sure to eat yogurt before meals.
The Suffix ～前（ぜん）
The ON reading of 前 is ぜん, which may be used as a suffix meaning “before” in formal, mostly written-language contexts. When ～前（ぜん） follows a Sino-Japanese word that is at least two morae in length, it tends to be replaced with ～まえ in the spoken language.
13. 1日3回食前に服用してください。
Please take (medicine) three times a day before eating.
14. 使用前自主検査を行いました。
We performed a before-use independent inspection.
15. 投票日前であっても、投票日と同様に投票できる制度を期日前投票と言います。
We call the system of being able to vote just like on election day even when it is before said election day “early voting.”
16. 出生前診断とは胎児の発育や形態の異常の有無など、全身状態を評価し、その結果に基づいて胎児に先天的な病気がないかを診断することです。
A prenatal screening is examining whether there are any congenital diseases in a fetus based on the results of assessing its general condition, such as whether there are any development or structural abnormalities.
Reading Note: 出生 may be read as either しゅっしょう or しゅっせい, with the former being the traditional reading. This traditional reading is favored in compounds from a prescriptive standpoint, but the latter reading has become far more prevalent in recent years.
17. 紀元前一万年の世界にも恐竜が存在したのでは、と思わせる証拠を発見しました！
I have discovered evidence that leads one to believe that dinosaurs had also lived in our world in 10,000 B.C!
The Prefix 前（ぜん）～
As a prefix attaching to occupational titles, 前（ぜん）means “ex-/former,” in which case it is very similar to the prefix 元～. The difference, however, is that 前～ only refers to the immediately preceding person in said role. For instance, as of 2023, the last president of the U.S. was トランプ前大統領. Before him, it was オバマ元大統領.
18. 現社長が前社長を殺害したという事態が明るみに出た。
The state of affairs of the current company president having murdered the prior company president has come to light.
19. どうしても元カノを気にしてしまうよ。
My ex-girlfriend always gets to me no matter what.
Contraction Note: カノ is a contraction of 彼女 when used to mean “girlfriend”.
前（ぜん）～ may be seen in an array of temporal phrases, but because the kanji also possesses the meaning of “in front/before,” not all words it creates relate to the past. For instance, compare 前例 (precedent) and 前兆 (precursor) with 前途 (prospects) and 前進 (moving forward).
～直前
“Right before” is expressed with ～直前, which may be used in a temporal and/or a spatial sense. In a temporal sense, it frequently attaches to nouns without needing the particle の, but this omission is not possible in the spatial sense.
20. 帰京する飛行機の（出発）直前に到着する時刻のバスにしか間に合わなかった。
I only managed to make it to a bus with an arrival time (to the airport) right before my flight back (to Tokyo).
21. 車の直前に人が突然飛び出してきた。
A person suddenly dashed out right in front of the/my car.
22. 爆発（の）直前にガソリンが気化したような臭いがしていた。
There was a smell of gasoline vaporizing right before the explosion.
23. その直前のことは思い出せません。
I cannot remember what (happened) right before that.
24. 直前の電話になってしまい、申し訳ございません。
I apologize for the last-minute call.