antes

adv.

1 before.

no importa si vienes antes it doesn't matter if you come earlier

ya no nado como antes I can't swim as I used to

mucho/poco antes long/shortly before

lo antes posible as soon as possible

antes de Cristo before Christ, BC

antes de tiempo ahead of time

antes de hacer algo before doing something

antes de que before

antes de que llegaras before you arrived

de antes old; (antiguo) previous (anterior)

2 before.

me bajo dos pisos antes I get off two floors before (you)

antes de before

3 first (primero).

esta señora está antes this lady is first

entraron antes que yo they went in in front of me

m.pl.

1 elks, mooses.

2 suedes.

* * *

antes

► adverbio

1 (tiempo) before, earlier

■ llámame antes de salir ring me before you leave

■ llegué antes que él I arrived before him

■ antes del partido before the match

■ deberías estar allí antes de las nueve you should be there before nine

■ bébete el café antes de que se enfríe drink your coffee before it gets cold

2 (en el pasado) before, in the past

3 (lugar) in front, before

► conjunción

1 on the contrary, quite the opposite, rather

■ no la aborrece, antes la ama he doesn't hate her, on the contrary he loves her

► adjetivo

1 before

\

FRASEOLOGÍA

antes bien on the contrary

■ no se acobardó, antes bien se encaró con su enemigo he didn't shrink back, on the contrary, he stood up to his enemy

antes de J.C. before Christ

antes de nada first of all

lo antes posible as soon as possible

* * *

adv.

1) before, earlier

2) rather, sooner

3) formerly, previously

•

- antes bien

- antes de anoche
- antes de ayer
- antes de Cristo
- antes de que
- antes que

- cuanto antes

* * *

1.

ADJ before

llame el día antes para pedir cita — call the day before for an appointment

ocurrió unos momentos antes — it happened a few moments earlier o before

el tren ha llegado una hora antes — the train has arrived an hour early

2. ADV

1) [en el tiempo]

a) [con relación a otro acontecimiento]

yo llegué antes — I arrived first

el edificio que habían comenzado dos años antes — the building that had been started two years before o previously

no te vayas sin antes consultarle — don't go without o before consulting her first, don't go without consulting her beforehand, don't go until you've consulted her

lo vio antes que yo — he saw it first o before I did o before me

• antes de algo — before sth

antes de 1900 — before 1900

la cena estará lista para antes de las nueve — dinner will be ready by o before nine

una semana antes de la firma del contrato — a week before o prior to más frm signing the contract

antes de anoche — the night before last

antes de ayer — the day before yesterday

antes de terminado el discurso — before the speech was over

antes de una semana no vamos a saber nada — we won't know anything for a week

• el año 27 antes de Cristo — 27 BC, 27 before Christ

• antes de hacer algo — before doing sth

antes de salir del coche, asegúrese de que están las ventanillas cerradas — before you get o before getting out of the car, make sure that the windows are closed

• mucho antes de algo — long before sth

mucho antes de conocerte — a long time before I met you o meeting you, long before I met you o meeting you más frm

• antes de o que nada — [en el tiempo] first of all; [indicando preferencia] above all

antes de nada dejad que me presente — first of all, allow me to introduce myself

antes que nada, hay que mantener la calma — above all, we must keep calm

somos, antes que nada, demócratas — we are first and foremost democrats

• poco antes de algo — just o shortly before sth

• antes de que — + subjun before

antes de que te vayas — before you go

esperamos lograrlo antes de que termine la década — we hope to achieve this before the end of the decade

b) [en el pasado]

antes fumaba un paquete de tabaco al día — before, I smoked a packet of cigarettes a day, I used to smoke a packet of cigarettes a day

antes no pasaban estas cosas — these things didn't use to happen before o in the past

• de antes, nuestra casa de antes — our old house, our previous house

ya no tienen la alegría de antes — they don't have the joie de vivre they used to have

ya no soy el mismo de antes — I'm not the same person I was o I used to be

fue una boda de las de antes — it was an old-style wedding

ya no se hacen películas como las de antes — they don't make films like they used to o like they did in the old days

c) (=hasta ahora) before, before now

nunca antes he tenido problemas — I've never had any problems before

d) (=más temprano) earlier

no he podido venir antes — I couldn't come any earlier

los viernes salimos un poco antes — on Fridays we leave a little earlier

no te he podido llamar antes — I couldn't call you sooner o earlier

• cuanto antes — as soon as possible

cuanto antes mejor — the sooner the better

• lo antes posible — as soon as possible

e) (=más joven) at a younger age, at an earlier age

cada vez se casan los hijos antes — kids get married at a younger o an earlier age these days

2) [en el espacio] before

tres páginas antes — three pages before

• antes de algo — before sth

la calle que hay antes del semáforo — the street before the traffic lights

3.

CONJ [indicando preferencia] sooner, rather

preferimos ir en tren antes que en avión — we prefer to go by train rather than by plane

no cederemos: antes gastamos todo nuestro dinero — we shall never give up: we would rather o sooner spend all our money

• antes bien, antes al contrario — but rather

• antes no — Chile, Méx just as well, luckily

vi lo furiosa que estaba, antes no te pegó — I saw how angry she was, just as well o luckily she didn't hit you

• antes que hacer algo — rather than doing sth

antes que irme a la India, preferiría viajar por Europa — rather than going to India, I'd prefer to travel around Europe

* * *

adverbio

1)

a) (con anterioridad) before

me lo deberías haber dicho antes — you should have told me before o earlier

lo antes posible — as soon as possible

lo compré el día antes — I bought it the day before

b) (en locs)

antes de — before

antes de las tres/del accidente — before three/before the accident

antes de Jesucristo — before Christ, BC

no van a llegar antes de dos horas — they won't be here for two hours

le daré la respuesta antes de una semana — I will give you my reply within a week

antes de anoche — the night before last

antes de ayer — the day before yesterday

antes de + inf — before -ing

llámame antes de salir — call me before leaving o you leave

antes (de) que + subj: antes (de) que me olvide before I forget; no se lo des antes (de) que yo lo vea don't give it to him until I've seen it; antes (de) que tú nacieras — before you were born

2) (en tiempos pasados) before, in the past

antes salíamos más — we used to go out more before

ya no es el mismo de antes — he's not the same person any more

las casas de antes eran más sólidas — in the past houses were more solidly built

3)

a) (indicando orden, prioridad) first

yo estaba antes — I was here first

antes que — before

el señor está antes que yo — this gentleman is before me

antes que nada — first of all

mis hijos están antes que tú — my children come before you

b) (indicando preferencia)

antes me muero! — I'd rather o sooner die!

cualquier cosa antes que eso — anything but that

antes que verlos pasar hambre robaría — I'd steal rather than see them go hungry

4) (en el espacio) before

me bajo dos paradas antes — I get off two stops before

5)

a)

antes bien — (liter) on the contrary

b)

antes no — (Chi, Méx fam)

antes no te apuñalaron — you were lucky you didn't get stabbed

* * *

= earlier, formerly, before now.

Ex. These will be established in keeping with the principles established earlier.

Ex. Mr. Berman was formerly Editor of the Social Responsibility Round Table (SRRT) Newsletter and is still a member of SRRT, but chooses not to be a member of the American Library Association.

Ex. OSI offers immense potential for the creation of the global 'virtual library', a network in which libraries are extensively and transparently connected to offer their patrons a wealth and breadth of information that has been inconceivable before now.

----

* antes de = in anticipation of, prior to, no later than, in advance (of), in the run up to, during the run up to, not later than.

* antes de acostarse = before bed.

* antes de ahora = before now.

* antes de conseguir empleo = preappointment.

* antes de darse cuenta = before + Pronombre + know what + happen, before + Pronombre + know it.

* antes de + Expresión Temporal = Expresión Temporal + be up.

* antes de finalizar el horario de oficina = by the close of business.

* antes de + Infinitivo = before + Gerundio.

* antes de la contratación = pre-employment [preemployment].

* antes del amanecer = before dawn.

* antes del año = Expresión Temporal + be up.

* antes del examen = pretest [pre-test].

* antes de lo previsto = ahead of schedule.

* antes de nada = before long, before + Pronombre + know what + happen, before + Pronombre + know it.

* antes (de que) = before.

* antes de todo = before anything else, first off.

* antes de una emergencia = pre-emergency.

* antes morir que = would rather + Verbo + than.

* antes o después de = either side of.

* antes que = sooner than.

* antes que nada = first of all, before anything else, first off, above all things.

* antes todo continúa como antes = life goes on as before.

* cantar victoria antes de tiempo = speak too soon.

* como antes = as before.

* continuar como antes = go on + as before.

* cuando antes + Pronombre + sea posible = at + Posesivo + earliest convenience.

* cuando antes pueda = at + Posesivo + earliest convenience.

* cuanto antes = as soon as possible (asap).

* cuanto antes mejor = sooner the better, the.

* deber haber ocurrido antes = be long overdue.

* detenerse antes de = stop + short of.

* enseñanza antes de empezar el trabajo = pre-service education.

* haber pasado por aquí antes = have been down this road before.

* hablar antes de tiempo = speak too soon.

* justo antes de = on the eve of, in the run up to, during the run up to.

* justo antes (de que) = immediately before.

* lo mismo que antes = the same as before.

* los días antes de = leading up to.

* más que antes = more than ever, more ... than ever before, more than ever before.

* más que nunca antes = more ... than ever before, more than ever before, more than ever.

* mencionado antes = above-mentioned, above-named.

* minutos antes de = minutes before.

* mucho antes = early on.

* mucho antes de = well before.

* mucho tiempo antes de (que) = long before.

* no antes de = no sooner than.

* no cantes victoria antes de tiempo = don't count your chickens before they are hatched.

* no visto antes = unprecedented.

* pasar año(s) antes de que = be year(s) before.

* poco antes de + Fecha = shortly before + Fecha.

* que fue común antes = once-common.

* seguir como antes = go on + as before.

* un año antes de = a year ahead of.

* usado antes = second-hand [secondhand].

* y antes de nada = the next thing + Pronombre + know.

* y antes de que + Pronombre + dar + cuenta = the next thing + Pronombre + know.

* * *

adverbio

1)

a) (con anterioridad) before

me lo deberías haber dicho antes — you should have told me before o earlier

lo antes posible — as soon as possible

lo compré el día antes — I bought it the day before

b) (en locs)

antes de — before

antes de las tres/del accidente — before three/before the accident

antes de Jesucristo — before Christ, BC

no van a llegar antes de dos horas — they won't be here for two hours

le daré la respuesta antes de una semana — I will give you my reply within a week

antes de anoche — the night before last

antes de ayer — the day before yesterday

antes de + inf — before -ing

llámame antes de salir — call me before leaving o you leave

antes (de) que + subj: antes (de) que me olvide before I forget; no se lo des antes (de) que yo lo vea don't give it to him until I've seen it; antes (de) que tú nacieras — before you were born

2) (en tiempos pasados) before, in the past

antes salíamos más — we used to go out more before

ya no es el mismo de antes — he's not the same person any more

las casas de antes eran más sólidas — in the past houses were more solidly built

3)

a) (indicando orden, prioridad) first

yo estaba antes — I was here first

antes que — before

el señor está antes que yo — this gentleman is before me

antes que nada — first of all

mis hijos están antes que tú — my children come before you

b) (indicando preferencia)

antes me muero! — I'd rather o sooner die!

cualquier cosa antes que eso — anything but that

antes que verlos pasar hambre robaría — I'd steal rather than see them go hungry

4) (en el espacio) before

me bajo dos paradas antes — I get off two stops before

5)

a)

antes bien — (liter) on the contrary

b)

antes no — (Chi, Méx fam)

antes no te apuñalaron — you were lucky you didn't get stabbed

* * *

antes (de que)

= before

Ex: It will be a long time before all documents are available in machine-readable form.

= earlier, formerly, before now.

Ex: These will be established in keeping with the principles established earlier.

Ex: Mr. Berman was formerly Editor of the Social Responsibility Round Table (SRRT) Newsletter and is still a member of SRRT, but chooses not to be a member of the American Library Association.

Ex: OSI offers immense potential for the creation of the global 'virtual library', a network in which libraries are extensively and transparently connected to offer their patrons a wealth and breadth of information that has been inconceivable before now.

* antes de = in anticipation of, prior to, no later than, in advance (of), in the run up to, during the run up to, not later than.

* antes de acostarse = before bed.

* antes de ahora = before now.

* antes de conseguir empleo = preappointment.

* antes de darse cuenta = before + Pronombre + know what + happen, before + Pronombre + know it.

* antes de + Expresión Temporal = Expresión Temporal + be up.

* antes de finalizar el horario de oficina = by the close of business.

* antes de + Infinitivo = before + Gerundio.

* antes de la contratación = pre-employment [preemployment].

* antes del amanecer = before dawn.

* antes del año = Expresión Temporal + be up.

* antes del examen = pretest [pre-test].

* antes de lo previsto = ahead of schedule.

* antes de nada = before long, before + Pronombre + know what + happen, before + Pronombre + know it.

* antes (de que) = before.

* antes de todo = before anything else, first off.

* antes de una emergencia = pre-emergency.

* antes morir que = would rather + Verbo + than.

* antes o después de = either side of.

* antes que = sooner than.

* antes que nada = first of all, before anything else, first off, above all things.

* antes todo continúa como antes = life goes on as before.

* cantar victoria antes de tiempo = speak too soon.

* como antes = as before.

* continuar como antes = go on + as before.

* cuando antes + Pronombre + sea posible = at + Posesivo + earliest convenience.

* cuando antes pueda = at + Posesivo + earliest convenience.

* cuanto antes = as soon as possible (asap).

* cuanto antes mejor = sooner the better, the.

* deber haber ocurrido antes = be long overdue.

* detenerse antes de = stop + short of.

* enseñanza antes de empezar el trabajo = pre-service education.

* haber pasado por aquí antes = have been down this road before.

* hablar antes de tiempo = speak too soon.

* justo antes de = on the eve of, in the run up to, during the run up to.

* justo antes (de que) = immediately before.

* lo mismo que antes = the same as before.

* los días antes de = leading up to.

* más que antes = more than ever, more ... than ever before, more than ever before.

* más que nunca antes = more ... than ever before, more than ever before, more than ever.

* mencionado antes = above-mentioned, above-named.

* minutos antes de = minutes before.

* mucho antes = early on.

* mucho antes de = well before.

* mucho tiempo antes de (que) = long before.

* no antes de = no sooner than.

* no cantes victoria antes de tiempo = don't count your chickens before they are hatched.

* no visto antes = unprecedented.

* pasar año(s) antes de que = be year(s) before.

* poco antes de + Fecha = shortly before + Fecha.

* que fue común antes = once-common.

* seguir como antes = go on + as before.

* un año antes de = a year ahead of.

* usado antes = second-hand [secondhand].

* y antes de nada = the next thing + Pronombre + know.

* y antes de que + Pronombre + dar + cuenta = the next thing + Pronombre + know.

* * *

antes

adverb

A

1 (con anterioridad) before

me lo deberías haber dicho antes you should have told me before o earlier

lo haré lo antes posible I'll do it as soon as possible

los inquilinos de antes eran más simpáticos the people who lived there before o the previous tenants were nicer

días antes había estado con él I had been with him a few days before

la había hecho el día antes she had made it the day before o the previous day

2 (en locs):

antes de before

llegó antes de las tres/del accidente she arrived before three/before the accident

debe estar aquí antes de las ocho you must be here before o by eight

unos días antes de la publicación del libro a few days before the book was published o (frml) prior to the publication of the book

antes de Jesucristo before Christ, BC

no van a llegar antes de dos horas they won't be here for two hours

le daré la respuesta antes de una semana I will give you my reply within a week

antes de anoche the night before last

antes de ayer the day before yesterday

antes DE + INF before -ING

muéstrame la carta antes de mandársela show me the letter before you send it to him o before sending it to him

antes ( DE) QUE + SUBJ:

a ver si podemos terminarlo antes (de) que lleguen let's try and finish before they get here

antes (de) que me olvide, llamó Marisa before I forget, Marisa called

no se lo muestres antes (de) que yo lo vea don't show it to him until I've seen it

mucho/poco antes (de) que tú nacieras a long time/just before you were born

B (en tiempos pasados) before, in the past

antes no se veían mendigos por la calle como ahora you didn't use to see beggars on the streets o in the past you didn't see beggars on the streets o you didn't see beggars on the streets before, the way you do now

antes salíamos mucho más que ahora we used to go out o in the past we went out much more than we do now

ya no es el mismo de antes he's not the same person any more, he's not the same person he was

las casas de antes eran más sólidas houses used to be o in the past houses were more solidly built

C

1 (indicando orden, prioridad) first

yo estaba antes I was here first

antes que before

el señor está antes que yo this man was here before me o is before me

antes que nada first of all

la obligación está antes que la diversión duty comes before pleasure

mis hijos están antes que tú para mí my children are more important to me than you are, my children come before you

2

(indicando preferencia): ¿casarme con él? ¡antes me muero! marry him? I'd rather o sooner die!

cualquier cosa antes que eso anything but that

la muerte antes que la deshonra death before dishonor

antes QUE + INF:

antes que verlos pasar hambre, soy capaz de robar I'd steal rather than see them go hungry

D (en el espacio) before

me bajo dos paradas antes I get off two stops before

el ejemplo dado líneas antes the example given a few lines above o before

está antes de Rocha/del puente it's before you get to o it's this side of Rocha/the bridge

E

1

antes bien (liter); on the contrary

2

antes no (Chi, Méx fam): antes no te apuñalaron you were lucky o you can count yourself lucky you didn't get stabbed

* * *

 

antes adverbio
1

a) (con anterioridad) before;

◊ lo compré el día antes I bought it the day before;

lo antes posible as soon as possible

b) (más temprano) earlier;

◊ no pude llegar antes I couldn't arrive earlier

c) (en locs)

◊ antes de before;

antes de Jesucristo before Christ, BC;
no van a llegar antes de dos horas they won't be here for two hours;
le daré la respuesta antes de una semana I will give you my reply within a week;
antes de lo esperado earlier than expected;
antes de hacer algo before doing sth;
antes (de) que me olvide before I forget;
no se lo des antes (de) que yo lo vea don't give it to him until I've seen it

d) (en el espacio) before

2 (en tiempos pasados) before, in the past;

◊ ya no es el mismo de antes he's not the same person any more

3

a) (indicando orden, prioridad) first;

◊ antes que nada first of all;

yo estaba antes I was here first

b) (indicando preferencia):

◊ ¡antes me muero! I'd rather o sooner die!;

cualquier cosa antes que eso anything but that
antes
I adverbio
1 (en el tiempo) before
antes de las dos, before two o'clock
un año antes, a year before
mucho antes, long before
poco antes, a short time before
2 (tiempo remoto) in the past
antes se bordaba a mano más, people used to hand-embroider more in the past
3 (en el espacio) before
la escuela está antes de la estación, the school is before the station
II conj antes morir que disculparme, I'd rather die than apologize
♦ Locuciones: antes (bien), on the contrary
cuanto antes, as soon as possible
lo antes posible, as soon as possible
'antes' also found in these entries:
Spanish:
a. C.
- acaso
- acopiar
- adelantarse
- anoche
- anticiparse
- aquél
- aquélla
- atusar
- ayer
- bélica
- bélico
- cadáver
- como
- congelación
- consumir
- cuanta
- cuanto
- dérmica
- dérmico
- engañarse
- escaparse
- escarceo
- escribano
- folclórica
- folclórico
- gay
- grabar
- homologar
- hostelera
- hostelero
- incluida
- incluido
- interesar
- manía
- marcha
- mejor
- menos
- merodear
- mezclar
- no
- noche
- ocurrirse
- poca
- poco
- presupuesto
- recoger
- resolver
- sabatina
- sabatino
English:
action
- advance
- anything
- applaud
- apprentice
- arbitration
- as
- asap
- averse
- back
- BC
- before
- beforehand
- best
- better
- blurt out
- board
- boil over
- breathing space
- bridge
- bustling
- capture
- clean
- clean up
- clear
- clock
- clock off
- clock out
- close
- cram
- customary
- defrost
- dispose of
- early
- enact
- even
- eventual
- exercise
- family
- fellow
- first
- flying
- formerly
- from
- gather in
- go over
- ground
- hold off
- hors d'oeuvre
- jack up

* * *

antes

♦ adv

1. [en el tiempo] before;

[antaño] formerly, in the past;

lo he dicho antes I've said it before;

no importa si venís antes it doesn't matter if you come earlier;

me lo podías haber contado antes you could have told me earlier o before;

antes llovía más it used to rain more often;

antes no había televisión y la gente se entretenía con la radio in the past, there wasn't any television, so people used to listen to the radio;

ya no nado como antes I can't swim as I used to;

desde el accidente, ya no es el mismo de antes he hasn't been the same since the accident;

cuanto antes as soon as possible;

mucho/poco antes long/shortly before;

lo antes posible as soon as possible;

antes de before;

antes de entrar dejen salir [en letrero] please let people off first before boarding;

no llegues antes de las cinco don't get there before five, make sure you arrive no earlier than five;

tenlo preparado antes de medianoche have it ready by midnight;

antes de hacer algo before doing sth;

consúltame antes de añadir nada consult me first before you add anything o before adding anything;

antes de que llegaras before you arrived;

antes de anoche the night before last;

antes de ayer the day before yesterday;

antes de Cristo before Christ, BC;

de antes [antiguo] old;

[anterior] previous;

el sistema de antes era muy lento the old system was very slow;

esta cerveza sabe igual que la de antes this beer tastes the same as the previous one o the one before

2. [en el espacio] before;

me bajo dos pisos antes I get off two floors before (you);

antes de before;

el motel está antes del próximo cruce the motel is before the next junction

3. [primero] first;

esta señora está antes this lady is first;

ten paciencia, este señor está antes que nosotros be patient, this man is in front of us;

entraron antes que yo they went in in front of me;

¿quién va a salir antes? who's going to leave (the) first?

4. [expresa preferencia] rather;

no quiero tener coche, antes me compraría una moto I don't want a car, I'd rather buy a motorbike;

antes… que rather… than;

prefiero la sierra antes que el mar I prefer the mountains to the sea;

iría a la cárcel antes que mentir I'd rather go to prison than lie;

antes de nada first of all, before anything else;

antes que nada [expresando preferencia] above all, first and foremost;

antes al contrario on the contrary

♦ adj

[previo] previous;

la noche antes the night before

♦ antes bien loc conj

on the contrary;

no le aburría, antes bien parecía agradarle far from boring him, it appeared to please him

* * *

antes

I adv before;

cuanto antes, lo antes posible as soon as possible;

poco antes shortly before;

antes que nada first of all;

antes bien on the contrary;

de antes old

II prp

:

antes de before;

antes de hora, antes de tiempo early, ahead of time;

antes de llegar el tren before the train arrived

III conj

:

antes de que subj before

* * *

antes adv

1) : before, earlier

2) : formerly, previously

3) : rather, sooner

antes prefiero morir: I'd rather die

4)

antes de : before, previous to

antes de hoy: before today

5)

antes que : before

antes que llegue Luis: before Luis arrives

6)

cuanto antes : as soon as possible

7)

antes bien : on the contrary

* * *

antes adv

1. (previamente) before

avísame antes de irte let me know before you go

antes no utilizábamos ordenadores we didn't use computers before

2. (más temprano) earlier

se levanta antes que yo he gets up earlier than I do

3. (lugar) just before

la piscina está antes del cruce the swimming pool is just before the crossroads

antes de before

antes de leer el periódico before reading the newspaper

antes de la guerra before the war

antes de que before

antes de que yo naciera before I was born

antes que nada above all

cuanto antes as soon as possible

lo antes possible as soon as possible