قَبْل in English: before – meaning, pronunciation, examples

Other meanings

قَبْلُ 9ablu — before · before

How to use it

'Qabla' is a very common preposition and adverb. As a preposition, it indicates something that precedes in time or space, and it is followed by a noun or pronoun. As an adverb, it means 'before' and usually refers to a past time.

Example sentences

جئتُ قَبْلَ الموعد.

jiʾtu qabla al-mawʿid.

I came before the appointment.
فكر قَبْلَ أن تتكلم.

fakkir qabla ʾan tatakallam.

Think before you speak.
رأيته قبلُ في المكتبة.

raʾaytuhu 9ablu fī al-maktabah.

I saw him before in the library.

Examples from real texts

Sentences taken from published bilingual texts (subtitles, documents). They show the word in context and are not reviewed one by one.

وخلقنا أبا الجن، وهو إبليس مِن قَبْل خلق آدم من نار شديدة الحرارة لا دخان لها.

As We fashioned jinns before from intense radiated heat.

Questions and answers

What is the difference between 'qabla' as a preposition and as an adverb?

As a preposition, 'qabla' is followed by a noun or pronoun (e.g., 'before noon'). As an adverb, it stands alone and refers to a prior time (e.g., 'I've been here before').

Can 'qabla' be used for physical position as well as time?

Yes, 'qabla' can indicate spatial order, meaning 'in front of' or 'before' something physically.