-नुअघि

Before Doing Something

Level 3Sounds Like nu'aghi

-नुअघि means before an action, and it never changes.

How It Works

-नुअघि is the mirror of -एपछि. -एपछि means after, and -नुअघि means before: खाना खानुअघि (before eating).

Verb-नुअघि form
खानुखानुअघि
जानुजानुअघि
आउनुआउनुअघि
सुत्नुसुत्नुअघि
गर्नुगर्नुअघि

The form always uses the -नु stem, so it never takes a person ending: म जानुअघि, तिमी जानुअघि, उहाँ जानुअघि. All the work of tense is in the main verb: म नेपाल जानुअघि नेपाली सिक्दै थिएँ.

You can write -नुभन्दा पहिले instead, which means the same and sounds a little more careful: खानुभन्दा पहिले. Both forms are used in speech.

Write -नुअघि as one word. Do not split अघि off as a separate word and do not use the -एको form here.

Examples (5)

  1. खाना खानुअघि हात धुनुहोस्।

    Please wash your hands before eating.

    खानुअघि names the later action, eating. Washing comes first.

  2. अफिस जानुअघि म चिया पिउँछु।

    I drink tea before going to the office.

    The time frame comes first.

  3. परीक्षा दिनुअघि सरिता धेरै पढिन्।

    Before taking the exam, Sarita studied a lot.

    The tense is only in पढिन्.

  4. म नेपाल जानुअघि नेपाली सिक्दै थिएँ।

    Before I went to Nepal, I was learning Nepali.

    The main clause can use any tense.

  5. सुत्नुअघि दाँत माझ्नुहोस्।

    Please brush your teeth before sleeping.

    सुत्नुअघि is built on the stem सुत्नु.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing अघि as a separate word.

    खाना खानु अघि हात धुनुहोस्।
    खाना खानुअघि हात धुनुहोस्।

    The form is one word.

  • Using the -एको form for before.

    खाना खाएको अघि हात धुनुहोस्।
    खाना खानुअघि हात धुनुहोस्।

    Before needs the -नु stem, not -एको.

How It Connects

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

-नुअघिLevel 3Before Doing Something

Learn This First

-नुअघि means before doing something.