पहले / बाद में
Before and After
पहले (first, earlier) and बाद में (later) put actions in order. After a noun they become से पहले and के बाद.
How It Works
On its own, पहले means first or earlier, and बाद में means later or afterwards. Together they put two actions in order: पहले काम, बाद में आराम (work first, rest later). पहले can also mean before now, in the past: मैं पहले यहाँ रहता था (I used to live here before).
To say before or after something, name that thing first:
| Meaning | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| before X | X से पहले | क्लास से पहले (before class) |
| after X | X के बाद | शादी के बाद (after the wedding) |
Notice the small difference: before takes से, after takes के. You may also hear के पहले, but से पहले is the usual form.
The noun takes its form before a postposition, so नाश्ता becomes नाश्ते: नाश्ते के बाद (after breakfast). Pronouns change too: मुझसे पहले (before me), उसके बाद (after that).
With an amount of time, पहले means ago: दो साल पहले (two years ago). That use has its own entry, and so do the patterns for before and after doing something.
Examples (5)
- पहले होमवर्क करो, बाद में खेलो।
Do your homework first and play later.
पहले marks the first step and बाद में the later one.
- मैं पहले यहाँ रहता था।
I used to live here before.
On its own, पहले can mean earlier, in the past.
- नाश्ते से पहले यह दवा लीजिए।
Take this medicine before breakfast.
नाश्ता becomes नाश्ते before से पहले.
- बैठक के बाद हम बात करेंगे।
We'll talk after the meeting.
के बाद follows the noun बैठक.
- उसके बाद हम बाज़ार गए।
After that, we went to the market.
With a pronoun, वह becomes उस: उसके बाद.
Common Mistakes
Forgetting to change the noun before के बाद or से पहले.
नाश्ता के बाद मैं दफ़्तर जाता हूँ।नाश्ते के बाद मैं दफ़्तर जाता हूँ।के बाद is a postposition, so a masculine noun in -आ changes to -ए: नाश्ते.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before takes से and after takes के, so both postpositions come first.
Related Patterns
- -ने से पहलेBefore Doing Something
Use this to say before doing something: सोने से पहले.
Level 3 - -ने के बादAfter Doing Something
Use this to say after doing something: खाने के बाद.
Level 3 - दो साल पहलेAgo and Later
With an amount of time, पहले means ago and बाद means later.
Level 2 - फिरThen or Again
फिर (then) is another way to give the next step.
Level 2 - Nouns Before Postpositions
Nouns change form before से पहले and के बाद.
Foundations
Words in This Pattern
Practice पहले / बाद में in Bubblegum
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