Easy Korean - Unit 19: Before doing / -κΈ° 전에

🌊 Level 4 · Conversational Flow

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

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

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

1. Using 전에 with Nouns

When you want to say "before [noun]", simply put 전에 after the noun. - μˆ˜μ—… 전에 (before class) - 점심 전에 (before lunch) - 1μ‹œ 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 -κΈ° to the verb stem, and then adding 전에. - Structure: Verb Stem + -κΈ° 전에

  • κ°€λ‹€ (to go) -> κ°€κΈ° 전에 (before going)
  • λ¨Ήλ‹€ (to eat) -> λ¨ΉκΈ° 전에 (before eating)
  • 사닀 (to buy) -> 사기 전에 (before buying)

Examples

  1. μ˜€λ‹€ (to come)
  2. 여기에 였기 전에 뭐 ν–ˆμ–΄μš”?

  3. Before coming here, what did you do?

  4. μžλ‹€ (to sleep)

  5. 자기 전에 μ–‘μΉ˜μ§ˆμ„ ν•΄μš”.

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

  7. μ—¬ν–‰ (travel - Noun)

  8. μ—¬ν–‰ 전에 ν˜Έν…”μ„ μ˜ˆμ•½ν•΄μ•Ό λΌμš”.

  9. You have to book a hotel before traveling.

  10. μˆ˜μ˜ν•˜λ‹€ (to swim - Verb)

  11. μˆ˜μ˜ν•˜κΈ° 전에 μ€€λΉ„μš΄λ™μ„ ν•˜μ„Έμš”.
  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 -κΈ° 전에 does not change tense. - λ°₯을 λ¨ΉκΈ° 전에 손을 μ”»μ—ˆμ–΄μš”. (Before I ate, I washed my hands.) -> Past tense at the end.

Test Yourself β†’