Before: ～前
Expressing “before” in Japanese is not as difficult as other similar temporal phrases, but it still come with its own set of challenges.
Before: ～前
When used as a temporal word, ～前 means “before.” It can be used with verbs in the non-past tense or with other nouns. Because 前 is also noun, you need to use the particle の when it is after another noun phrase.
1. それはどのくらい前のことでしたか。
How long ago was that?
2. 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.
重言 Note: The phrase 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.”
3. 海外旅行の前に、パスポートを取りました。
I got a passport before going abroad.
4. 食べる前に、手を洗います。
I wash my hands before I eat.
5. 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.
6. これは11年前の新聞だ。
This is a newspaper from 11 years ago.
7. 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.
8. 彼は3年前に死んだ。
He died three years ago.
9. 彼は3年前に死んでいた。
He had been dead three years ago.
10. 彼は3年前に死んでいる。
It has been three years (ago) since he died.
The Suffix ～前（ぜん）
The Kanji 前 also has the ON reading 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 as the latter is deemed easier to understand.
11. 1日3回 食前に服用してください。
Please take (medicine) three times a day before eating.
12. 使用前自主検査を行いました。
We performed a before-use independent inspection.
13. 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.”
14. 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.
15. 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 suffix 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.
16. 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.
17. 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”.
It is worth noting that 前（ぜん）～ may also be seen in array of temporal phrases, but it must be noted that because the Kanji also possesses the meaning of “in front/before oneself,” not all words it creates are in relation 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 the need of the particle の, but this omission is not possible in the spatial sense.
18. 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。(Written)
I only managed to make it to a bus with an arrival time (to the airport) right before my flight back (to Tokyo).
19. 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.
20. 爆発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.
漢字 Note: 臭い gives a nuance of stench, whereas 匂い is any given smell.