before

/bɪˈfɔː(r)/ prep. / conj. / adv.
标准词条 CET-4
一句话记住

在……以前；以前；从前

释义与例句

prep./conj. 在……以前
earlier than a particular time or event, or earlier than the time when something happens
  1. Please wash your hands before dinner.
    请在晚饭前洗手。
  2. Check that the door is locked before you leave.
    离开前检查一下门是否锁好。
展开其余 1 条例句
  1. She had worked in publishing before joining the university.
    在进入这所大学工作之前，她曾在出版行业工作。
adv. 以前；从前
at an earlier time; previously
  1. I have seen this film before.
    我以前看过这部电影。
  2. The same problem had occurred twice before.
    同样的问题以前已经发生过两次。
展开其余 1 条例句
  1. He seemed familiar, though we had never met before.
    他看起来很面熟，尽管我们以前从未见过。

词源与构词

记忆钩子 before long 是固定短语，意为“不久以后”；long before 则是“早在……之前”，两者语序不同，意思也不同。

词族与关联词

易混词（形近或义近，注意区别）
  • ago ……以前
    ago 从现在或说话时刻往前算，常置于时间段后，并与一般过去时连用；before 指某参照事件之前，也可单独表示“以前”，位置更灵活。
    The letter arrived three days ago. 这封信是三天前到的。
常见搭配
  • the day before 前一天
    We picked up the keys the day before we moved in. 我们在搬入的前一天取了钥匙。
  • before long 不久以后
    Before long, the whole village had heard the news. 不久以后，全村人都听说了这个消息。
  • before doing something 做某事之前
    Read the safety instructions before using the machine. 使用这台机器前，请阅读安全说明。