-기 전에
-gi jeone
Pointing left on the timeline: -기 전에
The picture Marking a dot on a line of time and putting your finger on the space to the left of it. -기 전에 is the space left of the point, -(으)ㄴ 후에 the space right of it — 밥 먹기 전에 약 드세요 and 밥 먹은 후에 약 드세요 put the pill on opposite sides of the meal.
Where the picture shows up in -기 전에
-
left of the sleep point
자기 전에 약 드세요.
ja-gi jeo-ne yak deu-se-yo
Take your medicine before you go to sleep.
Reaching for the glass and the pill on the nightstand just before your head goes down.
The verb before -기 전에 always stays in the dictionary form. There is no 잤기 전에.
-
left of stepping out
나가기 전에 불 좀 꺼 주세요.
na-ga-gi jeo-ne bul jom kkeo ju-se-yo
Please turn off the lights before you leave.
Still putting your shoes on, but the hand goes first to the switch beside the door handle.
-
left of the starting point
회의 시작하기 전에 자료 보내 드릴게요.
hoe-ui si-ja-ka-gi jeo-ne ja-ryo bo-nae deu-ril-ge-yo
I'll send you the materials before the meeting starts.
The meeting room is still empty, and the send button on the email gets pressed while it is.
-
left of the meal point
밥 먹기 전에 손 씻어.
bap meok-gi jeo-ne son ssi-seo
Wash your hands before you eat.
Stopping the child who is pulling out a dining chair and turning them back toward the sink.
After a noun, drop -기 and use 전에 alone: 식사 전에, 수업 전에.
-
the room still left on the left
늦기 전에 출발합시다.
neut-gi jeo-ne chul-bal-hap-si-da
Let's set off before it gets late.
Picking up your coat while the clock hands are still in the comfortable part of the dial.
All of it in one picture
-기 전에 is marking a point on the line of time and pointing at the space to its left. Left of the sleep point you take your medicine; left of stepping out you turn off the lights; left of the meeting's start you send the files. Left of the meal point you wash your hands; left of 'too late', in the stretch still remaining, you set off. So the event before -기 전에 has not happened yet — you are pointing at a mark still ahead, which is why the verb stays in its unfinished -기 form.