기 전에 (before doing)

Think of this pattern as a time anchor. In English, we say "Before I go." We change the verb "go" to fit the sentence. In Korean, we do something clever. we turn the verb into a noun. The 기 part acts like a magic wand. It transforms "to go" into "the act of going." Then we add 전에, which means "before." So, 가기 전에 literally means "Before the act of going." It works with almost any action. The best part? It is incredibly stable. It doesn't care if the action happened yesterday. It doesn't care if it's happening tomorrow. The 기 전에 part stays exactly the same. The tense is always decided at the very end of the sentence. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. It tells the listener which action comes first in time, regardless of when you are telling the story.

1. 1Creating this pattern is like following a simple recipe. There are no complicated irregulars to worry about here!
2. 2Take any verb in its dictionary form (ending in 다).
3. 3Drop the 다. This gives you the verb stem.
4. 4Attach 기 directly to the stem.
5. 5Add a space and then 전에.
6. 6For example, let's look at 먹다 (to eat).
7. 7Drop 다 -> 먹
8. 8Add 기 -> 먹기
9. 9Add 전에 -> 먹기 전에
10. 10What about 하다 verbs? Like 공부하다 (to study).
11. 11Drop 다 -> 공부하
12. 12Add 기 -> 공부하기
13. 13Add 전에 -> 공부하기 전에
14. 14Even verbs with a ㄹ patchim like 만들다 (to make) are easy.
15. 15Drop 다 -> 만들
16. 16Add 기 -> 만들기
17. 17Add 전에 -> 만들기 전에
18. 18You don't drop the ㄹ here. It’s a vacation for your brain!

Use 기 전에 whenever you want to set a prerequisite. Are you going to a restaurant? You might say 가기 전에 예약해요 (I reserve before going). Are you preparing for a job interview? You could say 면접을 보기 전에 연습했어요 (I practiced before the interview). It’s perfect for daily routines. 자기 전에 책을 읽어요 (I read a book before sleeping). It is also great for giving directions. 우회전하기 전에 멈추세요 (Please stop before turning right). It makes your instructions clear and professional. You can also use it with nouns directly. If the word is already a noun, just add 전에. 식사 전에 (before the meal) or 수업 전에 (before class). This is shorter and very common in casual speech.

This grammar is specifically for "before" an action or a noun. Do not use it for "ago." If you want to say "two hours ago," you don't use 기 전에. You just use 전. So, 두 시간 전에 is correct for "two hours ago." Using 기 전에 with a duration word will sound very strange. Also, be careful with adjectives. Usually, we don't say "before being pretty." We use this with actions. If you must use an adjective, you usually have to change it to a verb form first, like 예뻐지기 전에 (before becoming pretty). But for 99% of your A2 needs, stick to verbs.

The "Past Tense Trap" is the biggest monster here. In English, we might say "Before I went." In Korean, you must not put past tense on the first verb.

• ✗ 갔기 전에 (Wrong)
• ✓ 가기 전에 (Correct)

Even if the whole sentence is about the past, the 기 전에 part remains in its base form.

• 가기 전에 밥을 먹었어요. (I ate before I went.)

The 먹었어요 at the end tells us it's the past. The 가기 stays neutral. It's like a grammar rule that refuses to age. Another mistake is forgetting the space. It is 기 (space) 전에. Writing it as one word 기전에 is a minor spelling error that native speakers notice.

You might know (으)ㄴ 후에, which means "after doing." These are two sides of the same coin.

• 먹기 전에 손을 씻어요. (Before eating, wash hands.)
• 먹은 후에 이를 닦아요. (After eating, brush teeth.)

Notice that (으)ㄴ 후에 changes based on the patchim, but 기 전에 is always the same. This makes 기 전에 your best friend when you are tired. There is also 기 전부터. This means "since before." For example, 한국에 오기 전부터 공부했어요 (I studied since before coming to Korea). It adds a bit more flavor to the timing.