قبل از اینکه

Before Something Happens

Level 4

The verb stays in the subjunctive even when the story is in the past.

How It Works

The subjunctive is the form with بـ before the present stem (see the link below). It is the right form after قبل از اینکه whatever the time of the sentence.

Time of the sentenceExampleMeaning
habitقبل از اینکه بخوابم، کتاب می‌خوانم.Before I sleep, I read a book.
pastقبل از اینکه باران شروع شود، به خانه رسیدیم.We got home before the rain started.
commandقبل از اینکه بیایی، زنگ بزن.Call before you come.

English says before the rain started, with a past verb. Dari says the subjunctive, because the rain had not started yet at the time you mean.

Before a noun, drop اینکه and keep قبل از: قبل از ساعت هشت (before eight o'clock). Only a clause with its own verb needs اینکه.

The two clauses can swap places. The main clause then comes first, with no comma: چای بخور قبل از اینکه بروی (have tea before you go).

Examples (5)

  1. قبل از اینکه بخوابم، کتاب می‌خوانم.

    Before I go to sleep, I read a book.

    بخوابم is the subjunctive after قبل از اینکه.

  2. پیش از اینکه مهمانان بیایند، اتاق را پاک کردیم.

    We cleaned the room before the guests came.

    The story is in the past, and بیایند is still the subjunctive. پیش از اینکه means the same as قبل از اینکه.

  3. قبل از اینکه باران شروع شود، به خانه رسیدیم.

    We got home before the rain started.

    شود is the subjunctive, even though the rain started in the past.

  4. قبل از اینکه شبنم بیاید، نان را آماده کنیم.

    Let's get the bread ready before Shabnam comes.

    بیاید is the subjunctive for an event that has not happened yet.

  5. او قبل از اینکه چیزی بگوید، چای را نوشید.

    She drank the tea before she said anything.

    بگوید is the subjunctive. او means she here.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the present tense after قبل از اینکه.

    قبل از اینکه می‌روی، چای بخور.
    قبل از اینکه بروی، چای بخور.

    The verb after قبل از اینکه is the subjunctive بروی.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

قبل از اینکهLevel 4Before Something Happens

Learn This First

The verb after this phrase takes the subjunctive.

Words in This Pattern

قبل ازپیش از