before

prep.

1. 在…以前
   earlier than sb/sth
   1. before lunch
      午餐前
   2. the day before yesterday
      前天
   3. The year before last he won a gold medal, and the year before that he won a silver.
      他前年得了一枚金牌，大前年得了一枚银牌。
   4. She's lived there since before the war.
      她从战前起就一直住在那里。
   5. He arrived before me.
      他比我先到。
   6. She became a lawyer as her father had before her.
      像她父亲先前一样，她成了一名律师。
   7. Leave your keys at reception before departure.
      离开前请把钥匙留在服务台。
   8. Something ought to have been done before now.
      先前就该采取措施了。
   9. We'll know before long (= soon) .
      我们很快就会知道了。
   10. Turn left just before (= before you reach) the bank.
       在快到银行时向左拐。
2. 在…面前（或前面）
   used to say that sb/sth is in a position in front of sb/sth
   1. They knelt before the throne.
      他们跪在御座前。
   2. Before you is a list of the points we have to discuss.
      放在你面前的是一份我们要讨论的要点清单。
3. （次序或排列）在前面
   used to say that sb/sth is ahead of sb/sth in an order or arrangement
   1. Your name is before mine on the list.
      名单上你的名字在我之前。
   2. He puts his work before everything (= regards it as more important than anything else) .
      他一切以工作为重。
4. （表示面临或临近）
   used to say that sth is facing sb in the future
   1. The task before us is a daunting one.
      我们面临的任务令人胆怯。
   2. The whole summer lay before me.
      整个夏季正等待着我。
5. 当面
   in the presence of sb who is listening, watching, etc.
   1. He was brought before the judge.
      他被带上法庭。
   2. She said it before witnesses.
      她当着证人的面讲出这事。
   3. They had the advantage of playing before their home crowd.
      他们有在主场观众面前比赛的优势。
6. （表示面对某人、某事时的反应）
   used to say how sb reacts when they have to face sb/sth
   1. They retreated before the enemy.
      面对敌人，他们撤退了。

conj.

1. 在…以前
   earlier than the time when
   1. Do it before you forget.
      尽早动手，免得忘了。
   2. Did she leave a message before she went?
      她走之前留言了吗？
2. 到…为止；到…之前
   until
   1. It may be many years before the situation improves.
      这种状况或许要过很多年才能得到改善。
   2. It was some time before I realized the truth.
      过了很长一段时间我才悟出真相。
3. 以免；不然
   used to warn or threaten sb that sth bad could happen
   1. Put that away before it gets broken.
      把它收好，免得砸碎了。
4. （宁可…而）不愿
   rather than
   1. I'd die before I apologized!
      我宁愿死也不道歉！

adv.

1. 以前；过去；已经
   at an earlier time; in the past; already
   1. You should have told me so before.
      你早该告诉我的。
   2. It had been fine the week before (= the previous week) .
      前一个星期天气很好。
   3. That had happened long before (= a long time earlier) .
      那是很早以前的事了。
   4. I think we've met before.
      我觉得我们以前见过面。

In addition to the uses shown below, before is used in the phrasal verbs ‘go before’ and ‘lay before’.
除下列用法外，before 还可用于 go before 和 lay before 等短语动词中。

1. PREP （时间上）在…之前，早于
   If something happens before a particular date, time, or event, it happens earlier than that date, time, or event.
   1. Annie was born a few weeks before Christmas...
      安妮出生在圣诞节前几周。
   2. Before World War II, women were not recruited as intelligence officers...
      在第二次世界大战之前，女性不能当情报人员。
   3. My husband rarely comes to bed before 2 or 3am.
      我丈夫很少在凌晨两三点之前睡觉。
   4. Before is also a conjunction.
      
   5. Stock prices climbed close to the peak they'd registered before the stock market crashed.
      股价几乎攀升到了股市崩盘前的历史最高位。
2. PREP 在（做某事）之前
   If you do one thing before doing something else, you do it earlier than the other thing.
   1. He spent his early life in Sri Lanka before moving to England...
      在移居英格兰之前，他早年是在斯里兰卡度过的。
   2. Before leaving, he went into his office to fill in the daily time sheet.
      离开前，他到自己的办公室填写了日常考勤表。
   3. Before is also a conjunction.
      
   4. He took a cold shower and then towelled off before he put on fresh clothes.
      他冲了个凉水澡，用毛巾擦干身子后换上了新衣服。
3. ADV 在（某时间或某事）以前
   You use before when you are talking about time. For example, if something happened the day before a particular date or event, it happened during the previous day.
   1. The war had ended only a month or so before.
      战争大约一个月前才刚刚结束。
   2. Before is also a preposition.
      
   3. It's interesting that he sent me the book twenty days before the deadline for my book.
      有趣的是，他在我的书到期前20天把那本书送给了我。
   4. Before is also a conjunction.
      
   5. Kelman had a book published in the US more than a decade before a British publisher would touch him.
      克尔曼早在英国出版商同他接触前十多年就已经在美国出版过一本书了。
4. CONJ-SUBORD 在（他人做某事）之前
   If you do something before someone else can do something, you do it when they have not yet done it.
   1. Before Gallacher could catch up with the ball, Nadlovu had beaten him to it.
      加拉赫还没来得及追上球，纳德洛武就已经抢先一步触到球了。
5. ADV 以前；以往；过去
   If someone has done something before, they have done it on a previous occasion. If someone has not done something before, they have never done it.
   1. I've been here before...
      我以前来过这儿。
   2. I had met Professor Lown before...
      我以前见过劳恩教授。
   3. She had never been to Italy before.
      她以前从来没有去过意大利。
6. CONJ-SUBORD （直到…）才；（过了…）才
   If there is a period of time or if several things are done before something happens, it takes that amount of time or effort for this thing to happen.
   1. It was some time before the door opened in response to his ring.
      他按完门铃后过了一会儿门才打开。
7. CONJ-SUBORD （必须先具备某一条件）才能；在…之前（必须具备某一条件）
   If a particular situation has to happen before something else happens, this situation must happen or exist in order for the other thing to happen.
   1. There was additional work to be done before all the troops would be ready.
      在全军准备就绪之前，还有一些杂事必须处理。
8. PREP （方位）在…前面，在…面前
   If someone is before something, they are in front of it.
   1. They drove through a tall iron gate and stopped before a large white villa.
      他们开车穿过一个大铁门，在一栋白色的大别墅前面停了下来。
9. PREP （所经位置）在…前面
   If you tell someone that one place is a certain distance before another, you mean that they will come to the first place first.
   1. The turn is about two kilometres before the roundabout.
      拐弯就在环岛前面约2公里处。
10. PREP 面对…（回答质询）
    If you appear or come before an official person or group, you go there and answer questions.
    1. The Governor will appear before the committee next Tuesday.
       下周二，州长将接受委员会的质询。
11. PREP 当着…的面；在…注视之下
    If something happens before a particular person or group, it is seen by or happens while this person or this group is present.
    1. The game followed a colourful opening ceremony before a crowd of seventy-four thousand.
       绚丽多彩的开幕式过后，这场比赛在74,000名观众的瞩目之下开始了。
12. PREP 摆在…面前；使面对；使面临
    If you have something such as a journey, a task, or a stage of your life before you, you must do it or live through it in the future.
    1. Everyone in the room knew it was the single hardest task before them...
       房间里所有人都清楚，摆在他们面前的是最为艰巨的任务。
    2. I saw before me an idyllic life.
       展现在我眼前的是充满诗情画意的生活。
13. PREP （重要性）超过；比…重要
    When you want to say that one person or thing is more important than another, you can say that they come before the other person or thing.
    1. Her husband, her children, and the Church came before her needs.
       丈夫、孩子和教会都比她本人的需求重要。
14. before long → see: long

1. He phoned on Tuesday, just before you came
   他星期二来电话了，就在你来之前。
2. I discovered an addiction to housework which I had never felt before.
   我发现自己迷上了做家务，之前我从没有这种感觉。
3. Annie was born a few weeks before Christmas
   安妮出生在圣诞节前几周。
4. Before World War II, women were not recruited as intelligence officers
   在第二次世界大战之前，女性不能当情报人员。
5. My husband rarely comes to bed before 2 or 3am.
   我丈夫很少在凌晨两三点之前睡觉。
6. He spent his early life in Sri Lanka before moving to England
   在移居英格兰之前，他早年是在斯里兰卡度过的。
7. Before leaving, he went into his office to fill in the daily time sheet.
   离开前，他到自己的办公室填写了日常考勤表。
8. The war had ended only a month or so before.
   战争大约一个月前才刚刚结束。
9. Before Gallacher could catch up with the ball, Nadlovu had beaten him to it.
   加拉赫还没来得及追上球，纳德洛武就已经抢先一步触到球了。
10. I had met Professor Lown before
    我以前见过劳恩教授。
11. She had never been to Italy before.
    她以前从来没有去过意大利。
12. It was some time before the door opened in response to his ring.
    他按完门铃后过了一会儿门才打开。
13. There was additional work to be done before all the troops would be ready.
    在全军准备就绪之前，还有一些杂事必须处理。
14. They drove through a tall iron gate and stopped before a large white villa.
    他们开车穿过一个大铁门，在一栋白色的大别墅前面停了下来。
15. The turn is about two kilometres before the roundabout.
    拐弯就在环岛前面约2公里处。
16. The Governor will appear before the committee next Tuesday.
    下周二，州长将接受委员会的质询。
17. The game followed a colourful opening ceremony before a crowd of seventy-four thousand.
    绚丽多彩的开幕式过后，这场比赛在74,000名观众的瞩目之下开始了。
18. Everyone in the room knew it was the single hardest task before them
    房间里所有人都清楚，摆在他们面前的是最为艰巨的任务。
19. I saw before me an idyllic life.
    展现在我眼前的是充满诗情画意的生活。
20. Her husband, her children, and the Church came before her needs.
    丈夫、孩子和教会都比她本人的需求重要。
21. He had made a date with a girl he had met the day before
    他和前一天遇到的那个女孩定下了约会。
22. I was on dialysis for seven years before my first transplant.
    在进行首次肾移植之前，我做了7年的透析。
23. Before the wedding, I had a heart-to-heart talk with my mother.
    婚礼前，我和母亲好好谈了谈心。
24. I remembered that we had drunk the last of the coffee the week before
    我记得我们在一个星期前就把最后的那点儿咖啡喝完了。
25. We will train you first before we set you a task
    我们在给你分派任务之前会先对你进行培训。
26. He took a bath and shaved before dinner
    晚餐前他洗了澡，刮了脸。
27. We waited three months before going back to see the specialist.
    我们等了3个月才回去见那位专家。
28. I have heard that he has been married before.
    我听说他过去结过婚。
29. Fortunately the rain stopped before we started.
    幸亏在我们动身前雨停了。
30. I hope we can finish this before the deadline.
    我希望我们能在最后期限之前完成这项工作。

  ago before formerly previously【导航词义：以前】

  ago adv. 以前

〔辨析〕指从现在起往前推算一段时间，通常和一般过去时的动词连用。

  before adv. 先前，以前

〔辨析〕指过去某时间之前的时间或泛指以前，通常与动词的现在完成时连用，有时也可与动词的过去完成时或一般过去时连用，也可用于具体的一段时间；在间接引语中用 before 而不用 ago。

  formerly adv. 以前，从前

〔辨析〕泛指以前，有时常用于对比。

  previously adv. 以前，先前

〔辨析〕与 before 用法相同，但更加正式。

adv

1. earlier in time
   1. I had known her before
   2. as I said before
   3. he called me the day before but your call had come even earlier
   4. her parents had died four years earlier
   5. I mentioned that problem earlier

   Synonym:    earlier

2. at or in the front
   1. I see the lights of a town ahead
   2. the road ahead is foggy
   3. staring straight ahead
   4. we couldn't see over the heads of the people in front
   5. with the cross of Jesus marching on before

   Synonym:    aheadin front