before
- prep.之前;在…以前;在…面前(或前面);(次序或排列)在前面;当面
- conj.在…以前;到…之前;以免;（宁可…而）不愿;不然;到…为止
- adv.以前;已经;过去
be- 介词前缀 + fore- 前面,预先
beforeprep.
在…以前
earlier than sb/sth
before lunch
午餐前
the day before yesterday
前天
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。
She's lived there since before the war.
她从战前起就一直住在那里。
He arrived before me.
他比我先到。
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。
Leave your keys at reception before departure.
离开前请把钥匙留在服务台。
Something ought to have been done before now.
先前就该采取措施了。
We'll know before long (= soon) .
我们很快就会知道了。
Turn left just before (= before you reach) the bank.
在快到银行时向左拐。
在…面前（或前面）
used to say that sb/sth is in a position in front of sb/sth
They knelt before the throne.
他们跪在御座前。
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。
（次序或排列）在前面
used to say that sb/sth is ahead of sb/sth in an order or arrangement
Your name is before mine on the list.
名单上你的名字在我之前。
He puts his work before everything (= regards it as more important than anything else) .
他一切以工作为重。
（表示面临或临近）
used to say that sth is facing sb in the future
The task before us is a daunting one.
我们面临的任务令人胆怯。
The whole summer lay before me.
整个夏季正等待着我。
当面
in the presence of sb who is listening, watching, etc.
He was brought before the judge.
他被带上法庭。
She said it before witnesses.
她当着证人的面讲出这事。
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。
（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
They retreated before the enemy.
面对敌人，他们撤退了。
conj.
在…以前
earlier than the time when
Do it before you forget.
尽早动手，免得忘了。
Did she leave a message before she went?
她走之前留言了吗？
到…为止；到…之前
until
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。
It was some time before I realized the truth.
过了很长一段时间我才悟出真相。
以免；不然
used to warn or threaten sb that sth bad could happen
Put that away before it gets broken.
把它收好，免得砸碎了。
（宁可…而）不愿
rather than
I'd die before I apologized!
我宁愿死也不道歉！
adv.
以前；过去；已经
at an earlier time; in the past; already
You should have told me so before.
你早该告诉我的。
It had been fine the week before (= the previous week) .
前一个星期天气很好。
That had happened long before (= a long time earlier) .
那是很早以前的事了。
I think we've met before.
我觉得我们以前见过面。
before
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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。
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2
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.Annie was born a few weeks before Christmas...
安妮出生在圣诞节前几周。
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3
PREP 在（做某事）之前
If you do one thing before doing something else, you do it earlier than the other thing.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。
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4
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.The war had ended only a month or so before.
战争大约一个月前才刚刚结束。
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5
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.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。
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6
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.I've been here before...
我以前来过这儿。
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7
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.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。
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8
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.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。
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9
PREP （方位）在…前面，在…面前
If someone is before something, they are in front of it.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。
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10
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.The turn is about two kilometres before the roundabout.
拐弯就在环岛前面约2公里处。
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11
PREP 面对…（回答质询）
If you appear or come before an official person or group, you go there and answer questions.The Governor will appear before the committee next Tuesday.
下周二，州长将接受委员会的质询。
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12
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.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。
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13
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.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。
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14
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.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。
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15
before long→ see:long
adv
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1
- earlier in time;previously
- I had known her before
- as I said before
- he called me the day before but your call had come even earlier
- her parents had died four years earlier
- I mentioned that problem earlier
- Synonym: earlier
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2
- at or in the front
- I see the lights of a town ahead
- the road ahead is foggy
- staring straight ahead
- we couldn't see over the heads of the people in front
- with the cross of Jesus marching on before
- Synonym: ahead in front
数据来源：WordNet
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Test the heat of the water before getting in .
入水之前先试一试水温。
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It would be a good idea to call before we leave .
我们出发之前打个电话是个好主意。
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It was many years before the full story was made public .
许多年之后，事情的全貌才公之于众。
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I 'd like a second opinion before I make a decision .
我在作决定之前，想听听别人的意见。
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I didn 't have time to change clothes before the party .
我没时间在聚会前更换衣服。
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Have you ever used this software before ?
你以前用过这种软件吗？
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I haven 't seen him since the summer before last .
我已有两个夏天没见过他了。
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Really , you could have told us before .
真是的，其实你大可事先跟我们说一声的。
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She got herself into a real state before the interview .
她面试前格外地焦虑不安。
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It 's difficult for them to get here much before seven .
他们很难在7点以前早早地来到这里。
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Before I decide , I need time to reflect .
在作出决定以前，我需要时间认真考虑考虑。
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Some children can read and write before they go to school .
有些孩子在上学前就会看书写字了。
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I need you to phone the story in before five .
我要你在五点钟前把整件事电告单位。
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Check the oil and water before setting off .
出发前应查看一下油和水。
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The lights changed to red before I could get across .
我还没来得及通过，红灯又亮了。
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This was one aspect of her character he hadn 't seen before .
这是他过去没有了解到的她的性格的一个方面。
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Look left and right before you cross the road .
左右看一看，然后再过马路。
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Take out accident insurance before you go on your trip .
去旅行前要办理好意外保险。
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She was a woman grown old before her time .
她显得未老先衰。
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Am I right in thinking we 've met before ?
我们以前见过面，我说得对吗？
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We 'll be home before long .
我们很快就要到家了。
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I 'll need to read up on the case before the meeting .
在开会前，我需要看一些有关这件事的材料。
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Why ever didn 't you tell us before ?
你为什么不早告诉我们呢？
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You need to get a written quotation before they start work .
你得在他们开工之前拿到报价单。
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We thought long and hard before deciding to move house .
我们经过长久慎重的考虑之后才决定搬家。
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Please turn the television off before you go to bed .
睡觉前请关上电视。
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She still has a long way to go before she 's fully fit .
她还需要很长时间才能完全恢复健康。
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We 'll know before long .
我们很快就会知道了。
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You should consider other people before you act .
你在行动之前应当考虑到别人。
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I often go running before work .
我常常在上班前跑步。
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。
He left a moment ago.
他刚走。
There was a pond here three years ago.
3年前，这里有一个池塘。
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。
Have you heard about it before?
你过去听说过这件事吗？
I have never met him before.
我以前从未见过他。
He said that he had met the man somewhere before.
他说他以前在什么地方见过这个人。
He was in Italy the week before.
他前一个星期在意大利。
泛指以前，有时常用于对比。
Formerly, Ted often lingered around a park, with nothing to do.
从前，特德时常在公园里闲逛，无所事事。
He was formerly a worker, but now he is a manager of a shop.
他曾经是个工人，可现在他是一家商店的经理。
与 before 用法相同，但更加正式。
I haven't met him previously.
我以前没有见过他。
She previously worked as a teacher.
她过去当过教师。
Six months previously he had quitted his job.
6个月前他辞职了。