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Before…to begin….to start Posted by on Aug 16, 2010 in Grammar

The construction ~기 전에 can be used to mean “before I do something I ___”

운동하기 전에 옷을 갈아입었어요 = Before I exercised I changed my clothes

(운동하기 = [I] exercise. 전에 = before. = clothes. = particle. 갈아입었어요 = changed)

This construction can also be used in the future tense :

밥을 먹기 전에 손을 씻을 거예요 = Before I eat I will wash my hands

( = rice. = particle. 먹기 = eat. 전에 = before. = hand. = particle. 씻을 거예요 = will wash)

This construction can also be used to express “before I do something, I won’t…”

눈이 오기 전에 코트를 입지 않을 거예요 = Before it snows (literally, before the snow comes), I won’t wear a coat

( = snow. = particle. 오기 = comes. 전에 = before. 코트 = coat. = particle. 입지 않을 거예요 = won’t wear)

The construction ~기 시작하다 can be used to mean “begin to” or “started to”

앤디는 한국어를 배우기 시작했어요 = Andy started to learn Korean

(앤디 = Andy. = particle. 한국어 = Korean. = particle. 배우기 시작했어요 = started to learn)

~기 시작하다 can be used in the future tense as well :

은수가 초등학교를 다니기 시작할 거예요 = Eunsu will begin to attend school

(은수 = Eunsu. = particle. 초등학교 = elementary school. = particle. 다니기 시작할 거예요 = will begin to attend)

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