Before…to begin….to start Posted by Ginny 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. 옷 = clothes. 을 = 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
(밥 = rice. 을 = particle. 먹기 = eat. 전에 = before. 손 = hand. 을 = 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
(눈 = snow. 이 = particle. 오기 = comes. 전에 = before. 코트 = coat. 를 = 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. 는 = particle. 한국어 = Korean. 를 = 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. 가 = particle. 초등학교 = elementary school. 를 = particle. 다니기 시작할 거예요 = will begin to attend)
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