JLPT N5 Grammar: 前に (mae ni) – Before / In front of

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JLPT N5 Grammar: 前に (mae ni) – Before / In front of
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

Before (time) or In front of (place).

🎯 Primary Function

To indicate temporal or spatial precedence.

📋 Grammar Structure

Verb (Dictionary Form) + 前に
Not applicable (Use Noun/Verb form instead)
Not applicable (Use Noun/Verb form instead)
Not typically used in JLPT N5 context

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Used in formal announcements or business settings (e.g., ‘Before the meeting…’).

😊 Informal Situations

Commonly used in daily conversations for plans and directions.

✍️ Written Language

Frequently used in instructions, recipes, and narratives.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Very common in both casual and polite speech.

💡 Common Applications

Chronological Order of Actions
Used to show that one action happens before another.
Example: 食べる前に手を洗う (Wash hands before eating).
Physical Location
Used to describe the physical position of something being in front of another object.
Example: 駅の前にビルがある (There is a building in front of the station).
Time Duration Ago
Used with specific time durations to mean ‘ago’.
Example: 一時間前に (One hour ago).
📊
Frequency
High
🎚️
Difficulty
N5 (Beginner)
Tag:

Related Kanji

JLPT N5 Kanji List

Related Vocabulary

JLPT N5 Vocabulary List
Example Sentences
Example #1
ご飯を食べる前に、手を洗います。
Furigana: ご飯(はん)を食(た)べる前(まえ)に、手(て)を洗(あら)います。
Romaji: Gohan o taberu mae ni, te o araimasu.
English: Before eating, I wash my hands.
Example #2
寝る前に、本を読みます。
Furigana: 寝(ね)る前(まえ)に、本(ほん)を読(よ)みます。
Romaji: Neru mae ni, hon o yomimasu.
English: Before sleeping, I read a book.
Example #3
テストの前に、勉強しました。
Furigana: テストの前(まえ)に、勉強(べんきょう)しました。
Romaji: Tesuto no mae ni, benkyou shimashita.
English: I studied before the test.
Example #4
駅の前に、大きいデパートがあります。
Furigana: 駅(えき)の前(まえ)に、大(おお)きいデパートがあります。
Romaji: Eki no mae ni, ookii depāto ga arimasu.
English: There is a large department store in front of the station.
Example #5
三年前に、日本へ来ました。
Furigana: 三年前(さんねんまえ)に、日本(にほん)へ来(き)ました。
Romaji: Sannenhmae ni, Nihon e kimashita.
English: I came to Japan three years ago.
Example #6
会議の前に、資料を準備してください。
Furigana: 会議(かいぎ)の前(まえ)に、資料(しりょう)を準備(じゅんび)してください。
Romaji: Kaigi no mae ni, shiryou o junbi shite kudasai.
English: Please prepare the materials before the meeting.
Example #7
家を出る前に、窓を閉めました。
Furigana: 家(いえ)を出(で)る前(まえ)に、窓(まど)を閉(し)めました。
Romaji: Ie o deru mae ni, mado o shimemashita.
English: I closed the windows before leaving the house.
Example #8
学校の前に、公園があります。
Furigana: 学校(がっこう)の前(まえ)に、公園(こうえん)があります。
Romaji: Gakkou no mae ni, kouen ga arimasu.
English: There is a park in front of the school.
Example #9
映画が始まる前に、ポップコーンを買いました。
Furigana: 映画(えいが)が始(はじ)まる前(まえ)に、ポップコーンを買(か)いました。
Romaji: Eiga ga hajimaru mae ni, poppukōn o kaimashita.
English: I bought popcorn before the movie started.
Example #10
一時間前に、友達と会いました。
Furigana: 一時間前(いちじかんまえ)に、友達(ともだち)と会(あ)いました。
Romaji: Ichijikan mae ni, tomodachi to aimashita.
English: I met my friend one hour ago.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Dictionary Form Usage
Even if the action happened in the past, the verb before ‘mae ni’ remains in the dictionary form.
Example: 日本へ行く前に日本語を勉強しました。 (I studied Japanese before I went to Japan.)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ 寝た前に (Neta mae ni)
✅ 寝る前に (Neru mae ni)
Always use the dictionary form of a verb before ‘mae ni’, regardless of the tense of the rest of the sentence.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral. The overall politeness of the sentence is determined by the final verb.
Social Situations: Used in various social contexts from giving directions to explaining a routine.
Regional Variations: Standard across Japan.

🔍 Subtle Differences

前に (mae ni) vs までに (made ni)
‘Mae ni’ means ‘before’, while ‘made ni’ means ‘by’ or ‘no later than’.
When to use: Use ‘mae ni’ for general order and ‘made ni’ for deadlines.

📝 Conjugation Notes

When using a noun, you must add the particle ‘no’ (Noun + の + 前に). When using a verb, always use the Dictionary Form (Non-past, plain form).

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Pronounce ‘mae’ as two syllables ‘ma-e’, not as one ‘may’.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of ‘Mae’ (前) as ‘Pre’ or ‘Front’. Just like a ‘Prefix’ comes before, ‘Mae ni’ indicates what comes before.

Other Grammar

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