Toki vs Mae Ni Practice: When Something Happens and Before It Happens

Connect an action to its timing. Compare “before leaving” with “when I was a student,” and practise the noun and verb connections separately.

Before and when are different relationships

出かける前に、鍵を確認します places the key check before going out. 学生のとき、京都に住んでいました places living in Kyoto within the period when the speaker was a student. とき is not simply a replacement for 前に.

Before 前に, a verb uses dictionary form even when the whole sentence describes the past: 寝る前に、本を読みました. A noun connects with の: 食事の前に. Before とき, nouns also use の, while な-adjectives use な, as in 暇なとき.

Tense near とき deserves its own context

日本に行くとき and 日本に行ったとき can place another event at different points relative to going. Avoid deciding that every earlier trip must use a past form before every timing expression. This exercise focuses on clear connections and an explicit “before” relationship.

Examples to read before you practise

Try six questions

Use the interactive practice below. Type only the requested expression. Kanji and kana alternatives are accepted where listed in the answer key. Completing a question records a result; opening the answer key does not.

1. 食事（　）前に、手を洗います。

2. 寝る前に → type the dictionary form of the action before 前に

3. 学生（　）とき、京都にいました。

4. 暇（　）とき、散歩します。

5. 出かける（　）、鍵を確認します。 Say before; type the timing expression.

6. 寝ます → form before 前に

Answer key and explanations

1. の — A noun uses の before 前に.

2. 寝る / ねる — 前に takes dictionary form here.

3. の — A noun takes の before とき.

4. な — A な-adjective uses な before とき.

5. 前に / まえに — 前に puts the check before leaving.

6. 寝る / ねる — Use the dictionary form, not 寝ます.

Keep learning

• Study toki.

• Study mae ni ato de.

• Open this six-question practice set.

• See your daily study and review schedule.

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