Breakdown of Avant de commencer, tu gagnes du temps en hiérarchisant ces projets.
tu
you (informal singular)
le temps
the time
ce
this (before a noun)
commencer
to start
le projet
the project
du
some (partitive, masculine)
gagner
to earn / to win
en
while / by (with gerund)
avant de
before (+ infinitive)
hiérarchiser
to prioritize
Questions & Answers about Avant de commencer, tu gagnes du temps en hiérarchisant ces projets.
How does en hiérarchisant express a condition in this sentence?
The gérondif (en + present participle) usually describes how an action is performed, but here it acts as a conditional shortcut. Saying tu gagnes du temps en hiérarchisant is a more elegant way of saying 'If you prioritize these projects, you save time' (Si tu hiérarchises ces projets, tu gagnes du temps).
Why does the sentence use gagnes instead of sauves for 'save time'?
Why is it avant de commencer rather than avant que tu commences?
When the subject of both actions is the same person (here, tu), French prefers the much simpler structure of avant de followed by an infinitive. You would only use avant que followed by the subjunctive if the subjects were different, such as 'Before he starts, you save time'.
Are you supposed to make a liaison between en and hiérarchisant?
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