before that
Native recording
Analyzing pitch…
Pitch graph is unavailable
- 1 before that、prior to that、before then、up to that point
This adverbial phrase means “before that” or “prior to that,” referring back to a time or event already mentioned in the context.
before that、prior to that、before then、up to that point
It points to a time or period before a previously mentioned point or event.
Show more (2)
-
เขาลาออกเมื่อเดือนมีนาคม ก่อนหน้านั้นเขาทำงานที่บริษัทนี้มาห้าปี khǎw laa ɔ̀ɔk mʉ̂a dʉan miinaakhom kɔ̀ɔn nâa nán khǎw tham ŋaan thîi bɔɔrisàt níi maa hâa pii He resigned in March. Before that, he had worked at this company for five years. เขาลาออกเมื่อเดือนมีนาคม ก่อนหน้านั้นเขาทำงานที่บริษัทนี้มาห้าปี details
-
ก่อนหน้านั้นเกิดอะไรขึ้น? kɔ̀ɔn nâa nán kə̀ət aray khʉ̂n What happened before that? ก่อนหน้านั้นเกิดอะไรขึ้น? details
Learning notes
Explanation
ก่อนหน้านั้น is built from ก่อน “before,” หน้า “front/before,” and นั้น “that.” The key point is that นั้น refers back to a time or event already established in the context. It can refer to the immediately preceding moment, but it can also cover a broader period before that point, depending on the sentence.
Usage
It is commonly used when explaining events in chronological order, such as work history, news reports, background to an incident, memories, or progress reports. It fits patterns like “A happened; before that, B was the case,” and works in both speech and writing.
Caution
Do not use it for physical location meaning “in front of that”; use expressions such as ข้างหน้านั้น instead. If the reference point is the present, ก่อนหน้านี้ is often the more natural choice.
Differences from similar words
1 before that synonyms
-
ก่อนหน้านี้ usually means “before this” or “previously,” often measured from now or the current point in the conversation. ก่อนหน้านั้น means “before that,” measured from a specific time or event already mentioned.