joan aurreko eguna
The Day Before Leaving
Joan aurretik tells when something happens. Joan aurreko eguna describes a noun: the day before leaving. The -ko phrase always comes right before the noun.
How It Works
1. From "when" to "which".
- Ezkondu aurretik Parisen bizi ziren. (Before marrying, they lived in Paris.) → ezkondu aurreko urteak (the years before marrying)
- Iritsi ostean lo egin nuen. (After arriving, I slept.) → iritsi osteko lehen orduak (the first hours after arriving)
- Afaldu ondoren paseatu genuen. (After dinner, we went for a walk.) → afaldu ondorengo paseoa (the walk after dinner)
2. With nouns too. The same -ko forms work after nouns: gerra aurreko argazkiak (pre-war photos), azterketa ondorengo oporrak (the holidays after the exam).
3. Which "after"? aurreko is the everyday "before". For "after", ondorengo and ondoko are common everywhere, and osteko is especially common in the West, like ostean. See -tu aurretik and -tu eta gero.
4. The case ending goes on the noun. The -ko phrase does not change; the noun takes the case: joan aurreko egunean (on the day before leaving).
Note: Without a following noun, a -ko time phrase can mean "for the time after": Aurreztu dirua, erretiroa hartu ondoko. (Save money for after you retire.) This use is less common.
Examples (5)
- Joan aurreko egunean maleta egin nuen.
On the day before leaving, I packed my suitcase.
- Iritsi osteko lehen orduak oso gogorrak izan ziren.
The first hours after arriving were very hard.
- Ezkondu aurreko urteak Parisen eman zituzten.
They spent the years before they got married in Paris.
- Afaldu ondorengo paseoa asko gustatzen zait.
I really like the walk after dinner.
- Gerra aurreko argazkiak aurkitu ditugu.
We have found pre-war photos.
Common Mistakes
Using the adverb form before a noun.
Joan aurretik egunean ez nuen lorik egin.Joan aurreko egunean ez nuen lorik egin.aurretik answers "when?". To describe the noun egun, use the -ko form: joan aurreko egunean.
Putting the noun before the -ko phrase.
Eguna joan aurreko ez dut ahaztuko.Joan aurreko eguna ez dut ahaztuko.The whole -ko phrase comes before the noun it describes.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Temporal -ko follows before and -ko.
Related Patterns
- -tu eta geroAfter Doing
The adverb forms for "after": ondoren, ostean, eta gero.
Level 3 - Time Word + -koTime with -ko
Simple time words with -ko: gaurko, atzoko.
Level 2 - -tu arteUntil
arte also has a -ko form: ezkondu arteko urteak.
Level 3 - Long Noun Phrases
These phrases are common building blocks of long noun phrases.
Level 5
Words in This Pattern
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