preposition/adverb/conjunction
antes
1. at or during a time earlier than something else
I saw him before lunch.
Eu o vi antes do almoço.
2. in front of someone or something in space or position
Stand before the judge.
Fique em pé diante do juiz.
3. in the presence of; facing
The matter came before the court.
O assunto foi levado à corte.
4. earlier in time or order; previously
Have you been here before?
Você já esteve aqui antes?
5. ahead of in space or sequence
A comes before B in the alphabet.
A vem antes de B no alfabeto.
In both American and Brazilian English, 'before' is a fundamental temporal and spatial preposition with identical usage. In legal contexts, Portuguese speakers may use 'perante' (before a court) more formally than the simple 'antes', reflecting the importance of precise legal terminology in Portuguese-speaking jurisdictions.
Related Idioms & Phrases
before you know it - antes que você perceba
the day before - o dia anterior
long before - muito antes
just before - logo antes
come before - vir em primeiro lugar
appear before - comparecer diante de
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