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Easy Korean Level 4 - Unit 19: Before doing / -기 전에

In this lesson, we will learn how to say "before doing something" or "before [noun]."

The word for "before" is 전에 (전 = before, 에 = time particle).

1. Using 전에 with Nouns

When you want to say "before [noun]", simply put 전에 after the noun. - 수업 전에 (before class) - 점심 전에 (before lunch) - 1시 전에 (before 1 o'clock)

2. Using 전에 with Verbs

When you want to say "before [verb]-ing", you must change the verb into a noun form first. We do this by attaching -기 to the verb stem, and then adding 전에. - Structure: Verb Stem + -기 전에

  • 가다 (to go) -> 가기 전에 (before going)
  • 먹다 (to eat) -> 먹기 전에 (before eating)
  • 사다 (to buy) -> 사기 전에 (before buying)

Examples

  1. 오다 (to come)
  2. 여기에 오기 전에 뭐 했어요?

  3. Before coming here, what did you do?

  4. 자다 (to sleep)

  5. 자기 전에 양치질을 해요.

  6. I brush my teeth before sleeping (before I go to bed).

  7. 여행 (travel - Noun)

  8. 여행 전에 호텔을 예약해야 돼요.

  9. You have to book a hotel before traveling.

  10. 수영하다 (to swim - Verb)

  11. 수영하기 전에 준비운동을 하세요.
  12. Please do warm-up exercises before swimming.

Tense Note

The tense of the sentence is determined by the final verb. The verb attached to -기 전에 does not change tense. - 밥을 먹기 전에 손을 씻었어요. (Before I ate, I washed my hands.) -> Past tense at the end.