Japanese word

直前

Pronunciation

Romajichokuzen

Meaning

  • nounright before

Example

授業の直前に水を飲みました。ju gyō no choku zen ni mizu o no mi ma shi ta

I drank water right before class.

Illustration for 直前 (right before)

More examples

出発の直前に、母から電話がありました。shup patsu no choku zen ni haha ka ra den wa ga a ri ma shi ta

My mother called right before I left.

Core concept

Marks the point immediately before a specific event or time, with almost no gap between them.

Common phrases

  • 出発の直前shup patsu no choku zen

    right before departure

  • 直前になってchoku zen ni na tte

    at the last moment

Similar words

間際magiwa: The final period before an event, when the event is very close to happening.
寸前sunzen: A point just before an event or action takes place.

Definition in Japanese

ある出来事や時点のすぐ前。a ru de ki goto ya ji ten no su gu mae

Word origin

直前 (chokuzen) combines 直 (choku, "direct") and 前 (zen, "front" or "before"), expressing what is directly before something.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, 直前 (chokuzen) appears in 直前の変更 (chokuzen no henkō), which describes a change made at the last moment.

Opposites

Word lists with this word