jabi-기 전에
-기 전에: Before Doing Something
Before doing — marks that the main action happens prior to another action.
How to form it
| When | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb stem | stem + -기 전에 | 가다 → 가기 전에 / 먹다 → 먹기 전에 |
| 하다 verbs | -하기 전에 | 공부하다 → 공부하기 전에 |
-기 전에 means before doing X.
Sejong teaches it in a travel unit — plans stack naturally: before I go home, I’ll travel… The form is a transparent chunk: nominal -기 + 전에.
Forms
| Verb | Before-form |
|---|---|
| 가다 | 가기 전에 |
| 먹다 | 먹기 전에 |
| 자다 | 자기 전에 |
| 공부하다 | 공부하기 전에 |
자기 전에 이를 닦아요. I brush my teeth before sleeping.
한국에 가기 전에 한국어를 배워요. I’m learning Korean before going to Korea.
여행하기 전에 표를 사요. I buy tickets before travelling.No past on the -기 half. The “before” meaning is already in 전에.
Build it, don’t invent tense
Wrong pattern learners invent: *갔기 전에 / *자기 전에 했어요 with a past fighting the timeline.
Right idea: before [verb-ing], [main clause].
가기 전에 연락해요. Contact me before you go.Noun 전에 vs verb -기 전에
| Form | |
|---|---|
| You already have a noun | 식사 전에, 수업 전에 |
| You start from a verb | 먹기 전에, 시작하기 전에 |
Do not drop -기 and leave a bare verb before 전에.
Before vs after
| Form | |
|---|---|
| Before doing | -기 전에 |
| After doing | -은 후에 -은 후에 |
Flip 전 / 후. Same timeline habit, opposite direction.
Same-unit partner
This unit also introduces -으려고 / -려고 (intending to). One orders time; the other marks intention. Before I leave, I’m going to… often needs both ideas in one conversation — different endings for each job.
Do not confuse it with
Taught alongside this
In the Sejong course this appears in 고향에 가기 전에 여행을 할 거예요 — Sejong Korean 1, Unit 14, on the theme of 여행. These come with it:
Words used above
Quick check
No sign-up, no score saved — just see if it stuck.
1. How do you say 'before sleeping'?
2. Which is wrong?
3. What is -기 doing here?
Common questions
Is this one dictionary headword?
It is taught as a chunk, but it is built from -기 + 전 + 에. You do not need a separate dictionary entry to use it.
Can the first verb be past (갔기 전에)?
Beginner Korean keeps the first verb as stem + -기 with no past: 가기 전에. Put time on the main clause if you need it.
What about noun + 전에 (식사 전에)?
Noun + 전에 is fine when you already have a noun (식사 전에). When you start from a verb, use -기 전에 (먹기 전에), not a bare verb stem.
How is this different from -아서/어서?
[[g:aseo-eoseo]] marks cause or a linked sequence. -기 전에 only orders time: do B before A happens.