-ण्यापूर्वी / -ल्यानंतर

Before and After Doing Something

Level 4Sounds Like ṇyāpūrvī / -lyānantara

-ण्याआधी is the same as -ण्यापूर्वी and is more common in speech.

How It Works

Both patterns attach to one verb and set it in time against the main clause. The verb in the first clause has no tense of its own.

VerbBeforeAfter
जेवणेजेवण्यापूर्वीजेवल्यानंतर
जाणेजाण्याआधीगेल्यानंतर
येणेयेण्यापूर्वीआल्यानंतर
झोपणेझोपण्यापूर्वीझोपल्यानंतर

In this pattern “before” takes the -ण्या- shape, and “after” takes the -ल्या- shape. Do not mix them.

The doer of the first clause can come before the verb: ती घरी आल्यानंतर आम्ही जेवलो. If both clauses share one doer, say it once: मी झोपण्यापूर्वी रोज वाचते.

-ल्यावर is the spoken version of -ल्यानंतर and means the same: जेवल्यावर. Writing prefers -ल्यानंतर. The postposition joins the verb in every form.

The two clauses can have different doers: मी येण्यापूर्वी तो गेला होता. (He had left before I came.) A longer clause fits in front too: घरातून बाहेर पडण्यापूर्वी दिवे बंद कर. (Switch off the lights before you leave the house.)

Examples (5)

  1. जेवण्यापूर्वी हात धुवा.

    Wash your hands before eating.

    -ण्यापूर्वी turns जेवणे into “before eating”.

  2. घरी जाण्याआधी मला फोन कर.

    Call me before you go home.

    -ण्याआधी is the spoken form of -ण्यापूर्वी.

  3. ती घरी आल्यानंतर आम्ही जेवलो.

    We ate after she came home.

    आल्यानंतर uses the past stem of येणे.

  4. मी ऑफिसमधून आल्यानंतर चहा पितो.

    I have tea after I come back from the office. A man is speaking.

    चहा पितो ends in -तो because the speaker is a man.

  5. मी झोपण्यापूर्वी रोज वाचते.

    I read every day before I sleep. A woman is speaking.

    वाचते ends in -ते because the speaker is a woman.

Common Mistakes

  • Mixing the -ण्या- and -ल्या- forms.

    जेवल्यापूर्वी हात धुवा.
    जेवण्यापूर्वी हात धुवा.

    “Before” takes -ण्या-, and “after” takes -ल्या-.

  • Using -ण्या- for “after”.

    घरी येण्यानंतर आम्ही जेवलो.
    घरी आल्यानंतर आम्ही जेवलो.

    “After” takes the past stem: आल्यानंतर.

How It Connects

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

-ण्यापूर्वी / -ल्यानंतरLevel 4Before and After Doing Something

Learn This First

Before and after doing use the verb noun.

Words in This Pattern

आधीनंतर