before/bɪ'fɔːr $ -'fɔːr/

prep.

➊ at or during a time earlier than (sb/sth)

➋ in front of (sb/sth)

ad. at an earlier time

conj. earlier than a particular event or action

prep.

➊ 在…以前：[before (doing) sth] Wash your hands before (having) meals. 饭前要洗手。

◇He left before me. 他先我离去。

◇[一段时间 + before sth] He left five minutes before our arrival. 他在我们到达前5分钟就离开了。

◇the day before yesterday 前天

➋ 在…前面：In the list, his name comes before mine. 在名单里，他的名字在我的前面。

◇We will perform before the president. 我们将给总统表演。

◇〈喻〉He puts his kids before anyone else. 他把他的孩子看得比任何人都要重要。

ad. 以前：I've seen him before.我以前见过他。

◇Never before had he enjoyed such a wonderful film. 他以前从未看过这么精彩的电影。

◇He was here last month and in Beijing the month before. 他上个月在这儿，前一个月在北京。

conj. 在…之前：Wash your hands before you have your dinner. 吃饭前要洗手。

◇It will be a while before we know the results. 还要一会儿我们才能知道结果。

before

forecast

forehead

foresee

构词be- + -fore-

常犯错误

✗ He visited Mary two days before.

✓ He visited Mary two days ago. 他两天前去看望过玛丽。

✓ He told me that he had visited Mary two days before. 他告诉我他两天前去看望过玛丽。

[✌“一段时间 + ago”与一般过去时连用；“一段时间+ before”与过去完成时连用。参见辨析ago; before]

常犯错误

✗ Look before you will leap.

✓ Look before you leap. [谚] 慎思而后行。

[✌before引导的时间状语从句要用一般现在时代替将来时]

辨析ago; before

辨析before; in front of

辨析before long; long before ...