0The Korean verb ending "-기 전에" ("-gi jeone") is used to indicate an action that occurs before another action or event. It can be translated into English as "before doing" or "prior to doing." Here's how you can use it:
Attach to a verb stem:
Take the verb stem and attach "-기 전에" to indicate the action that should be completed before another action. For example:
"먹다" (to eat) becomes "먹기 전에" (before eating).
Use in a sentence:
Incorporate it into a sentence to convey the sequence of actions. For instance:
"쇼핑하러 가기 전에 은행에 들러야 해요." (I need to stop by the bank before going shopping.)
Combine with other sentence elements:
You can use it in combination with other sentence elements to provide more context:
"책을 읽기 전에 커피를 마셔요." (I drink coffee before reading a book.)
Politeness Levels:
Adjust the politeness level by pairing it with appropriate speech levels, such as "-요" for polite speech or "-다" for informal speech.
Example:
Original Sentence: "영화를 보다" (to watch a movie)
With "-기 전에": "영화를 보기 전에 숙제를 끝내야 해." (I have to finish my homework before watching a movie.)
In summary, "-기 전에" is a useful construction to express the chronological order of actions, indicating that one action should be completed before another takes place in the Korean language
