Learning a new language can sometimes get challenging and frustrating and learning the Korean language is no easy feat. With its wide and complex range of grammar structures, it can get pretty exhausting. So today, we’re going to learn a rather simple expression.
-기 전에 is a Korean term that translates to “before doing something” or “prior to doing something” in English. It is composed of three elements: “기” (gi), which is the nominalizer, “전” (jeon), meaning “before” or “prior” and “에” which is marking the time in this case.
What is a nominalizer?
A nominalizer is a linguistic term used to describe a word or morpheme that converts a non-noun element, such as a verb or an adjective, into a noun or a noun-like form. In other words, it is a grammatical device that allows a non-noun to function as a noun within a sentence.
In various languages, including Korean, nominalizers play a crucial role in sentence structure and grammar. They help create noun phrases, nominal clauses, and nominalizations, enabling the expression of abstract concepts, actions, qualities, or states as nouns.
In Korean, the nominalizer “기” (gi) is commonly used. When attached to a verb or an adjective stem, it turns them into nouns or gerunds. For example:
- Verb nominalization:
- 먹다 (meok-da) – to eat
- 먹기 (meok-gi) – eating
- Adjective nominalization:
- 아름답다 (a-reum-dap-da) – to be beautiful
- 아름다움 (a-reum-da-woom) – beauty
Once the verb or adjective is nominalized using “기,” it can be used as a subject, object, or modifier within a sentence, just like any other noun. Nominalizers allow for more flexibility in sentence structure and help convey complex ideas in a concise manner.
전
As mentioned previously, 전 has the meaning of “before” or “prior” or “previous”. To understand how the structure of -기 전에 came to be, I will explain the different meanings of 전.
- Before / Prior to: “전” is often used to indicate a temporal relationship, expressing that something occurs before or prior to another action, event, or time point. For example:
- 밥을 먹기 전에, 학교에 가야 해요. – Before eating, I have to go to school.
- 회의 시작하기 전에, 준비를 해야 해요. I have to get ready before the meeting starts.
- Previous / Former: “전” can indicate the concept of something being previous or former in relation to something else. It is often used to describe a previous state, condition, or position. For example:
- 전 회사에서 많은 경험을 쌓았어요. – He gained a lot of experience in his previous company.
- 전 남자친구가 사줬어요. – My previous boyfriend bought it for me.
에
In Korean, the particle “에” (e) is commonly used as a marker that indicates time or a specific point in time. It serves to establish temporal relationships within a sentence and provides information about when an action takes place. While markers can sometimes be dropped, -기 전에 is a fixed expression and therefore in this case it would never be dropped.
Conjugation
Now that you understand the different components of -기 전에, let’s have a look at the conjugation.
It is to be noted here that while “전에” is used only with nouns, -기 전에 is used only with verbs and that is due to the -기 component being the nominalizer that enables us to make nouns out of verbs.
The conjugation for 기 전에 is rather simple where you just need to replace the verb stem with 기 전에. So it will be something like Verb + -기 전에. There will be no change in the conjugation with changes in tense. This is what makes it much simpler to understand.
Let’s try and conjugate a few examples below:
먹다 (to eat): You drop the verb stem 다 and instead add 기 전에, which then becomes 먹기 전에.
- 자다 (to sleep) -> 자기 전에 (before sleeping/before going to sleep)
- 가다 (to go) -> 가기 전에 (before going)
- 요리하다 (to cook) -> 요리하기 전에 (before cooking)
Let’s now look at some sample sentences below:
학교에 가기 전에 아침을 먹어요.
I eat breakfast before going to school.
영화 보기 전에, 친구들이랑 저녁 먹을 거예요.
I will have dinner with my friends before watching a movie.
운동 하기 전에 워밍업 할 거예요.
I will warm up before I work out.
Note: In these examples, “기 전에” appears after the verb in its base form, and it is followed by the action or event that occurs afterwards.
Activity 1
Conjugate the below verbs using 기 전에 and translate them to English.
- 말하다
- 주다
- 걷다
- 오다
- 나가다
- 기다리다
- 거짓말하다
- 대답하다
- 받다
- 도착하다
Activity 2
Translate the below sentences to Korean.
- Before going to Korea, I have to study Korean a lot.
- Give me a call before going to sleep.
- Wash you hands please before eating.
- Think before you write.
- Eat before you study.
Activity 3
Translate the below to English
- 오기 전에 전화해주세요.
- 고르기 전에 한번 입어보세요.
- 놀기 전에 공부 해요
- 만나기 전에 일해야 돼요.
- 돌아오기 전에 선물 사줄게요.
Activity 1 Answers
- 말하다 – 말하기 전에 (before talking)
- 주다 – 주기 전에 (before giving)
- 걷다 – 걷기 전에 (before walking)
- 오다 – 오기 전에 (before coming)
- 나가다 – 나가기 전에 (before going out)
- 기다리다 – 기다리기 전에 (before waiting)
- 거짓말하다 – 거짓말하기 전에 (before lying)
- 대답하다 – 대답하기 전에 (before answering)
- 받다 – 받기 전에 (before receiving)
- 도착하다 – 도착하기 전에 (before arriving)
Activity 2 Answers
- 한국 가기 전에 한국어를 많이 공부해야 돼요.
- 자기 전에 전화 해주세요
- 먹기 전에 손을 씻으세요
- 쓰기 전에 생각해요.
- 공부하기 전에 밥을 먹어요.
Activity 3 Answers
- 오기 전에 전화해주세요. – Call me before you come.
- 고르기 전에 한번 입어보세요. – Before you choose, try it on once.
- 놀기 전에 공부해요. – I study before I play.
- 만나기 전에 일해야 돼요. – I have to work before we meet.
- 돌아오기 전에 선물 사줄게요. – I will buy you a present before I come back.
Written by: Jacinta Mascarenhas
Edited by: the SKAPETOKOREA team