English · Word Candidate

before

/bɪˈfɔː/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: befores

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Earlier than (in time).

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

trước (về thời gian)

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Preposition

Examples

I want this done before Monday.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

In front of in space.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

trước mặt về không gian

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Preposition

Examples

He stood before me.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

At an earlier time.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

vào một thời điểm sớm hơn

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adverb

Examples

I've never done this before.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

In advance in position or sequence; ahead.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

trước về vị trí hoặc thứ tự; đi đầu

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

AdverbRegister: literary

Examples

We walked behind while they went before.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “before” mean?

Earlier than (in time).

Is “before” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.