English–French

“before” in French

French

Pronunciation

IPA/avɑ̃/

Example

Je suis arrivé avant toi.

I arrived before you.

Illustration for avant (before)

How to say “before” in French

“Before” in French is avant.

A point or event lies earlier than a chosen reference point.

Full entry for avant: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with avant

N'oublie pas de fermer la porte avant de partir.

Don't forget to close the door before leaving.

Tips for using avant

  • Avant de is followed by an infinitive, while avant que introduces a subordinate clause and normally takes the subjunctive.

“before” in other languages