-ishdan oldin

Before Doing

Level 3

Verb + -ish + -dan + oldin means before doing: Uxlashdan oldin kitob oʻqiyman (I read before sleeping).

How It Works

1. Building the form
Start from the verb noun -(i)sh: -ish after a consonant, -sh after a vowel:

  • ket- + -ish + -dan → ketishdan oldin (before leaving)
  • uxla- + -sh + -dan → uxlashdan oldin (before sleeping)
  • ovqatlan- + -ish + -dan → ovqatlanishdan oldin (before eating)

Avval can take the place of oldin in a slightly more formal style: ketishdan avval. In bookish writing you may also meet the dictionary form: qilmoqdan oldin. Everyday Uzbek uses -ishdan oldin.

2. -masdan oldin
Many speakers say -masdan oldin, with the negative -masdan. It does not mean "before not leaving". It simply means before: Ketmasdan oldin qoʻngʻiroq qiling means the same as Ketishdan oldin qoʻngʻiroq qiling.

3. Showing who
To name the person, add a possessive ending after -ish: Siz kelishingizdan oldin, men uyni yigʻishtirdim (Before you came, I tidied the house), ketishimdan oldin (before I leave).

4. The time comes from the last verb
The form has no tense: oʻqiyman makes it a habit, and qiling makes it a request.

5. Before or until?
-guncha is also translated as before when it means "by the time": Qorongʻi tushguncha qayting (Come back before dark). -ishdan oldin simply puts one action earlier than another. The opposite is -gandan keyin (after doing).

Examples (6)

  1. Uxlashdan oldin kitob oʻqiyman.

    I read before going to sleep.

    Word by Word: Sleeping-from before book read-I.

    uxla- + -sh + -dan, then oldin.

  2. Ketmasdan oldin qoʻngʻiroq qiling.

    Call before you leave.

    Word by Word: Not-leaving before call do-please.

    -masdan oldin means the same as ketishdan oldin.

  3. Ovqatlanishdan oldin qoʻlingizni yuving.

    Wash your hands before eating.

    Word by Word: Eating-from before hand-your-the wash.

    ovqatlan- + -ish + -dan.

  4. Siz kelishingizdan oldin, men uyni yigʻishtirdim.

    Before you came, I tidied up the house.

    Word by Word: You coming-your-from before, I house-the tidied-I.

    The -ingiz ending shows who came.

  5. Javob berishdan oldin yaxshilab oʻylang.

    Think carefully before answering.

    Word by Word: Answer giving-from before carefully think.

    ber- + -ish + -dan.

  6. Toshkentga ketishimdan oldin, sizni koʻrmoqchiman.

    I want to see you before I leave for Tashkent.

    Word by Word: Tashkent-to leaving-my-from before, you see-want-I.

    The -im ending shows that I am the one leaving.

Common Mistakes

  • Building it on -gan, as with keyin.

    Uxlagandan oldin kitob oʻqiyman.
    Uxlashdan oldin kitob oʻqiyman.

    After takes -gan (uxlagandan keyin), but before takes the verb noun -ish: uxlashdan oldin.

  • Leaving out -dan.

    Uxlash oldin kitob oʻqiyman.
    Uxlashdan oldin kitob oʻqiyman.

    Oldin needs the ending -dan on the word before it, just as in darsdan oldin.

How It Connects

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

-ishdan oldinLevel 3Before Doing

Learn This First

Builds on The Verb Noun -(i)sh and Before and Ago.

Words in This Pattern

oldin