antes de + Infinitive
Before Doing
Use 'antes de + infinitive' to say 'before doing' an action.
How It Works
Use antes de + infinitive to place one action before another: Me cepillo los dientes antes de acostarme (“I brush my teeth before going to bed”). The verb after de is an infinitive, such as hablar, comer or vivir, rather than a finite form like hablo.
Subjects
In everyday sentences, the infinitive often shares the main subject: the same person brushes their teeth and goes to bed. It can also have its own subject, usually after the infinitive: Salimos antes de llegar Juan (“We left before Juan arrived”). A different subject does not automatically rule out the infinitive.
A Finite Clause
You can also use antes de que + subjunctive: Salimos antes de que llegara Juan. Antes que without de is also standard in this temporal construction. The finite clause can clarify who does the action; it is not reserved exclusively for a change of subject.
Keep the Forms Distinct
Siempre desayuno antes de salir de casa is correct. Do not write antes de salgo: use the infinitive after de, or a finite clause introduced by antes (de) que.
Examples (5)
- Lávate las manos antes de comer.
Wash your hands before eating.
Word by Word: Wash-yourself the hands before to-eat.
- Siempre desayuno antes de salir de casa.
I always have breakfast before leaving home.
Word by Word: Always I-have-breakfast before to-leave of house.
- Necesito terminar la tarea antes de ver la televisión.
I need to finish the homework before watching television.
Word by Word: I-need to-finish the homework before to-watch the television.
- Apaga las luces antes de irte a dormir.
Turn off the lights before you go to sleep.
Word by Word: Turn-off the lights before to-go-yourself to sleep.
- Es importante estirar antes de hacer ejercicio.
It's important to stretch before exercising.
Word by Word: It-is important to-stretch before to-do exercise.
Common Mistakes
Conjugating the verb after 'antes de'
Siempre desayuno antes de salgo de casa.Siempre desayuno antes de salir de casa.Use the infinitive salir after antes de. A finite clause needs antes (de) que and the subjunctive; salgo cannot directly replace salir after de. This distinction is not a rule that every infinitive must share the main subject.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use 'antes de + infinitive', you need to understand how the preposition 'de' functions and recognize the infinitive form of verbs (the unconjugated form ending in -ar, -er, or -ir).
- a/de/en/con/sinBasic Prepositions
The pattern uses the preposition 'de' to link the temporal adverb 'antes' with the following verb.
Foundations - -o/-as/-a/-amos/-áis/-anPresent Tense -AR Verbs
Understanding the concept of an infinitive (the base form of the verb before conjugation) is necessary to use this structure correctly.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- después de + InfinitiveAfter Doing
This is the direct opposite of 'antes de + infinitive'. It means 'after doing something' and is used to sequence events in the reverse order.
Level 1 - para + InfinitiveIn Order to
Both patterns use a preposition followed by an infinitive. While 'antes de' indicates time (before), 'para' indicates purpose (in order to).
Level 1 - al + InfinitiveUpon/When Doing
In its temporal use, al + infinitive means “when” or “upon,” with events overlapping or closely following one another. Antes de places one event before the other. Al + infinitive can also have a causal interpretation in other contexts.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice antes de + Infinitive in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Spanish lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
