-dan oldin / avval

Before and Ago

Level 2

Noun + -dan oldin = before: darsdan oldin (before class). Time + oldin = ago: ikki yil oldin (two years ago).

How It Works

1. Before an event
Add -dan to the noun, then oldin or avval: darsdan oldin (before class), ovqatdan oldin (before meals), sizdan oldin (before you).

2. Ago
Put oldin or avval straight after an amount of time, with no ending: ikki yil oldin (two years ago), bir soat avval (an hour ago), besh daqiqa oldin (five minutes ago).

You will also hear bundan (from now) in front: bundan toʻrt yil avval (four years ago). To count back from another moment, use undan: undan ikki yil oldin (two years before that).

3. Oldin or avval?
They mean the same. Oldin is a little more everyday. Avval also means first: Avval choy ichamiz. (First we'll have tea.)

4. On its own
Oldin alone means before, earlier or in the past: Oldin bu yerda kafe bor edi. (There used to be a café here.) Oldinroq means a little earlier.

5. Oldin, not oldida
In Front Of and Behind is mainly about place: maktab oldida (in front of the school). For before in time, use -dan oldin. You will also meet oldidan with events, as in ovqat oldidan (before meals).

6. With verbs
Before doing something is Before Doing: uxlashdan oldin (before sleeping).

Examples (6)

  1. Darsdan oldin kofe ichaman.

    I drink coffee before class.

    Word by Word: lesson-from before coffee I-drink

  2. Ikki yil oldin Toshkentga keldim.

    I came to Tashkent two years ago.

    For ago, the time amount has no -dan.

  3. Men sizdan oldin keldim.

    I came before you.

  4. Ovqatdan oldin qoʻlingizni yuving.

    Wash your hands before eating.

    Word by Word: food-from before hand-your-(object) wash

  5. Bir soat avval qoʻngʻiroq qildim.

    I called an hour ago.

    Avval works like oldin here.

  6. Oldin bu yerda kafe bor edi.

    There used to be a café here.

    Oldin on its own means before, in the past.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving -dan off an event before oldin.

    Dars oldin kofe ichaman.
    Darsdan oldin kofe ichaman.

    Only an amount of time stays bare, as in ikki yil oldin. An event such as dars needs -dan: darsdan oldin.

  • Putting oldin before the noun, like English before.

    Oldin darsdan kofe ichaman.
    Darsdan oldin kofe ichaman.

    Placed first, oldin means earlier or first, so the sentence no longer says before class. Oldin follows the noun with -dan: darsdan oldin.

How It Connects

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-dan oldin / avvalLevel 2Before and Ago

Learn This First

Builds on After.

Words in This Pattern

oldinavval