直ちょく前ぜん

ちょ

く

ぜ

ん

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

noun, adverb

just before; immediately prior to

Temporal use. Often appears as の直前, 直前に, or in compounds such as 試験直前, meaning the moment immediately before an event or deadline.

出しゅっ発ぱつの直ちょく前ぜんに、財さい布ふを忘わすれ

た

こと

に

気き

づい

た

。

Just before leaving, I realized I had forgotten my wallet.

試し験けん直ちょく前ぜんまで単たん語ごを確かく認にんした。

I reviewed vocabulary until right before the exam.

2

noun, adverb

right in front of; just before a place

Spatial use, especially for a point immediately before something along a route or line of movement, such as a crossing, station, or entrance.

横おう断だん歩ほ道どうの直ちょく前ぜんで車くるまが止とまった。
The car stopped right in front of the pedestrian crossing.
駅えきの直ちょく前ぜんで電でん車しゃが急きゅうに減げん速そくした。
The train suddenly slowed down just before the station.

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉の直ちょく前ぜんにimmediately before (an event)
試し合あいの直ちょく前ぜんに雨あめが降ふり出だした。
It started raining right before the match.
〈場ば所しょ〉の直ちょく前ぜんでright before reaching a place
駅えきの直ちょく前ぜんで電でん車しゃが止とまった。
The train stopped just before reaching the station.
直ちょく前ぜんになって〈動どう詞し〉to do something at the last minute, just before it's too late
直ちょく前ぜんになって計けい画かくを変へん更こうした。
We changed the plan at the last minute.
〈時とき〉直ちょく前ぜんjust before a specific time or deadline (used as a compound)
締しめ切きり直ちょく前ぜんにレポートを提てい出しゅつした。
I submitted the report just before the deadline.

Kanji

直straightaway, honesty, frankness
前in front, before

Related words

寸すん前ぜん sense 1
寸前 also means just before something, but it stresses being on the very verge of it happening, often with more urgency than 直前.
目もく前ぜんN1sense 1
目前 emphasizes something being right before one's eyes or very close at hand, whereas 直前 is a more neutral term for the moment just before.
間ま際ぎわN1
直前 is a neutral, formal way to say 'immediately before,' while 間際 adds a sense of urgency or a narrow margin right at the critical moment.
間ま近ぢかN1
直前 means 'just before' a specific point in time, while 間近 conveys a broader sense of something approaching or drawing near.
目めの前まえ
直前 is a neutral, factual term for 'just before' a point in time, while 目の前 (in its imminent sense) adds a feeling of urgency or vivid closeness.

Opposites

直ちょく後ごN2sense 1
直前 means immediately before an event, while 直後 means immediately after it.

Word family

直ちょく前ぜん指し定てい要よう素そ
previous specified element

Etymology

A Sino-Japanese compound of 直, associated here with directness or immediacy, and 前, meaning before or in front; together it means the point immediately before in time or space.