Chinese phrase
需要提前〜吗？ xū yào tí qián 〜 ma
Meaning
Do I need to ___ in advance?
When to use it
Asks whether something needs to be done in advance. It is a polite way to check a requirement before taking action.
Example dialogue
我 需要提前联系导师 吗？ wǒ xū yào tí qián lián xì dǎo shī ma
Do I need to contact my academic advisor in advance?
不用，到校后再联系也可以，但发封邮件说明情况会更好。 bú yòng dào xiào hòu zài lián xì yě ké yǐ dàn fā fēng yóu jiàn shuō míng qíng kuàng huì gèng hǎo
No, it is fine to contact them after arriving at school, but it would be better to send an email explaining the situation in advance.