...之前

1. Word Order & Standalone Use
Unlike English where 'before' comes at the start of a phrase, Cantonese uses 之前 (zi1 cin4) as a postposition, meaning it follows the reference point. Note that 之前 is strictly used for time or sequence, not for spatial locations (for spatial 'in front of', use 前面 cin4 min6 or 前便 cin4 bin6).

• Verbs: 食飯之前 (Before eating)
• Full Clauses: 之前 can follow an entire Subject-Verb-Object phrase, e.g., 我去日本之前 (Before I go to Japan)
• Time Points: 三點之前 (Before 3 o'clock)
• Events: 比賽之前 (Before the match)
• Nouns: 之前 can attach directly to standard nouns for temporal meanings, e.g., 聖誕之前 (Before Christmas)

Additionally, 之前 can be used as a standalone time adverb to mean 'previously' or 'before now'. Like other time words in Cantonese, it can be placed either before or after the subject (e.g., 我之前去過 or 之前我去過 - I have been there before). Note that as a standalone word, 之前 usually refers to the more recent past, whereas 以前 (ji5 cin4) generally refers to the more distant past ('years ago' or 'in the past').

2. 'Before' vs 'Ago'
When paired with a specific point in time, it means 'before' (e.g., 星期五之前 - before Friday). However, when paired with a time duration, it translates to 'ago' in English. Note that in everyday speech, the 之 is usually dropped for durations (e.g., native speakers overwhelmingly say 三個鐘頭前 - 3 hours ago; 兩年前 - 2 years ago). Also, for very short durations meaning 'just now' or 'a minute ago', Cantonese speakers use specific adverbs like 頭先 (tau4 sin1) or 啱啱 (ngaam1 ngaam1) rather than constructing phrases like 一分鐘之前.

3. Natural Pairing with 先 (sin1)
In natural spoken Cantonese, the main clause that follows a 'before' phrase often includes the adverb 先 (sin1) (meaning 'first') to emphasize the sequence. For example: 'Before going, eat first' (去之前食咗飯先). Note that the 咗 (zo2) here belongs to the main action (eating), not the 'before' clause.

4. Aspect Markers
Unlike ...之後 (zi1 hau6) (after), which often uses the completion marker 咗 (zo2), 之前 (zi1 cin4) usually attaches to the base verb. Since the action hasn't happened yet at the reference point, adding 咗 (zo2) right before 之前 (zi1 cin4) is generally incorrect.

5. The 未...之前 (mei6... zi1 cin4) Pattern
In natural spoken Cantonese, it is very common to use the negative marker 未 (mei6) before the verb, forming the pattern 未...之前 (mei6... zi1 cin4). It is crucial to note that 未 + Verb + 之前 means the exact same thing as Verb + 之前 (e.g., 未食飯之前 = 食飯之前). Even though it literally translates to 'not yet... before', the 未 (mei6) is logically redundant but idiomatically natural. It simply means 'before doing something', and is often more natural in speech than using 之前 alone.

6. Abbreviation to 前 (cin4)
In fast, natural speech, 之前 is very frequently abbreviated to just 前 (cin4). Time durations are the most common place to abbreviate to 前 (e.g., 兩日前 - two days ago), but it is also common after single-syllable verbs or common nouns (e.g., 食飯前 - before eating).

7. Register
之前 (zi1 cin4) is the standard form for both spoken and written Cantonese. While you might see 以前 (ji5 cin4) used for 'in the past' generally, 之前 (zi1 cin4) is preferred for specific sequences. Note that 以前 can also function as a postposition interchangeable with 之前 (e.g., 結婚以前 - before getting married), though 之前 is more common in modern speech.