before

B1 · Intermediate

prep. in front of someone or something.

prep. positioned in front of or in the presence of someone, often in a formal context.

Español:ante

“The witness had to stand before the judge and tell the truth.”

“The defendant stood before the magistrate, waiting for the formal charges to be read aloud to the court.”

A1 · Beginner

conj. earlier than the time when something happens.

conj. introducing a subordinate clause that describes an event occurring later than the main clause.

Español:antes de que

“He finished his homework before his friends arrived at the house.”

“The researchers gathered all necessary samples before the storm made the coastal site inaccessible for the remainder of the week.”

A2 · Elementary

adv. at a time in the past.

adv. at a time preceding the present or a specified point in the past.

“I think I have seen this movie before, but I don't remember the ending.”

“Although the symptoms seemed familiar, the patient insisted she had never experienced such severe pain before the recent surgery.”

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. the 'start' picture in a pair that shows a change.

n. the initial state or image in a comparison, typically paired with 'after' to show the results of a process.

“The 'before' photo shows how messy the garden was before we cleaned it.”

“The marketing campaign relied heavily on 'before' and 'after' shots to demonstrate the dramatic efficacy of the new skin treatment.”