Before

If you want to communicate the concept after, there are many one-word markers you can use which signify that the action happened after something else. This is not the same to communicate before, however, which requires a bit more grammatical work. To say something happened before something else, it is helpful to know the not yet infix construction.

To create before, add nga prior to using the not yet construction.

First activity + nga + not yet  + second activity.

The construction resembles how we think of discussing before and after events in English. For example:

I studied before I started working. (Nnasomye nga sinnatandika okukola.)

He ate breakfast before coming to class. (Yalya ekyenkya nga tannajja ekibiina.)

Don’t come home before you sell that cow! (Togenda ekka nga tonnatunda ente eyo!)

Practice using before with this worksheet..