Learn Hardcore Chinese: wǒmen zhǔnbèi qù jīchǎng yǐqián, xiān zài shǒujī shàng mǎi hǎo jīpiào. - Before we go to the airport, we first buy the plane tickets on the phone.

我们准备去机场以前… = “We are planning to / we’re going to, before going to the airport…”
It suggests you have a plan or intention to do something soon.

If you wanted the meaning “get ready” in a more concrete way (pack bags, check documents, etc.), you might say 我们在准备去机场 (“we’re getting ready to go to the airport”), with 在 to emphasize an ongoing action.

Why is it 去机场以前, not 以前去机场?

去机场以前 literally means “before going to the airport”.
In Chinese, 以前 usually comes after the verb phrase it modifies:

去机场以前 = before going to the airport
吃饭以前 = before eating

If you say 以前去机场, it means “(we) used to go to the airport (in the past)”, where 以前 means “before / in the past”, not “before doing X this time”.
So the word order changes the meaning quite a lot.

Could I also say 在去机场以前? Is there a difference from 去机场以前?

Yes, you can say 在去机场以前, and it’s also correct.

在去机场以前 and 去机场以前 both mean “before going to the airport”.
Adding 在 makes it slightly more formal or explicit, but in everyday speech people very often just say 去机场以前.

So for daily conversation, 去机场以前 is perfectly natural.

What does 先 (xiān) do in this sentence, and where can it go?

先 means “first / first of all” in a sequence of actions.

Here:

先在手机上买好机票 = “first buy the tickets on the phone” (before doing other things).

Common patterns:

先…再… = “first…, then…”
Example: 我们先在手机上买好机票，再去机场。
“We’ll first buy the tickets on the phone, then go to the airport.”

Its usual position is before the verb phrase it refers to, like here before 在手机上买好机票.

Why do we say 在手机上 and not just 在手机? What does 上 (shàng) add?

在手机上 literally means “on the phone (as a platform / device)”.

在 + place + 上 is often used when the “place” is a surface, platform, or medium:
- 在网上 = on the internet
- 在电脑上 = on the computer
- 在桌子上 = on the table

Saying only 在手机 sounds incomplete or unnatural here. 上 helps express that the phone is the medium through which you do the action (buying tickets online, using an app, etc.).

What is the function of 买好 (mǎihǎo) instead of just 买? Why add 好?

好 here is a resultative complement. 买好 means “to buy (something) so that it is completely and satisfactorily taken care of”.

买机票 = buy tickets (just the action)
买好机票 = finish buying the tickets; the task is successfully completed

So in context, 买好机票 emphasizes that by the time we go to the airport, the tickets are already bought and settled.

Could we use 买到 or 买了 instead of 买好? How would the meaning change?

Yes, but the nuance changes:

买到机票: focuses on succeeding in obtaining the tickets (you managed to get them).
买了机票: just states the fact that you bought the tickets (no special focus on completion quality).
买好机票: stresses both completion and readiness—the task is done and all set.

In your sentence, 买好 is very natural because it fits the idea “have the tickets all taken care of before we go”.

Is the word order fixed? Can I say 我们准备先在手机上买好机票，再去机场 instead?

Yes, that sentence is also correct and very natural:

我们准备先在手机上买好机票，再去机场。
“We plan to first buy the tickets on the phone, and then go to the airport.”

Your original sentence:

我们准备去机场以前，先在手机上买好机票。
focuses on “before going to the airport, do X first”.

The alternative with 先…再… focuses more clearly on the sequence of actions: first A, then B. Both are fine; the emphasis is slightly different but the meaning is similar.

Why is there no measure word before 机票 (jīpiào)? Shouldn’t it be 一张机票?

When you talk about a specific number of tickets, you do need a measure word:

一张机票 = one ticket
两张机票 = two tickets

But in this sentence, 机票 is used in a general / non-counted way, like English “the plane tickets” or just “tickets”. In that usage, no measure word is needed.
It’s like saying “We need to buy tickets” in English without saying how many.

How is the future meaning expressed here? There is no word like “will”.

Chinese doesn’t use verb endings for future tense like English does. Instead, it relies on time expressions and auxiliary verbs.

Here, 准备 (“plan to / be going to”) and the context (going to the airport) tell us it’s about the future.

You could add a time word to make it even clearer:

我们明天准备去机场以前，先在手机上买好机票。
“Tomorrow, before going to the airport, we’ll first buy the tickets on the phone.”

What’s the difference between 以前 (yǐqián) and 之前 (zhīqián)? Could we say 去机场之前?

Yes, you can say 去机场之前; it’s also correct and common.

以前 and 之前 are often interchangeable when they mean “before (doing something)”:

去机场以前 / 去机场之前 = before going to the airport

Subtle differences (not crucial for most learners):

以前 is a bit more general / time-related, also meaning “in the past”:
- 我以前住在北京。= I used to live in Beijing.
之前 can sound a bit more formal and is often used in written or slightly formal speech.

In this sentence, either works.

Could we omit 我们 (wǒmen) and just say 准备去机场以前，先在手机上买好机票?

Yes, in context you can omit 我们, especially if it’s already clear who “we” is from previous sentences.

Chinese often drops the subject when it’s obvious from context.

However, if this is a standalone sentence, keeping 我们 makes it clearer and more natural:

我们准备去机场以前，先在手机上买好机票。

Are there any tricky pronunciation points in this sentence I should watch out for?

A few things to note:

机场 (jīchǎng): 机 is first tone, 场 is third tone. Make sure 场 dips (third tone), not like a second tone.
准备 (zhǔnbèi): 准 is third tone, 备 is fourth tone. Third → fourth is a common pattern; keep 备 sharp and falling.
手机 (shǒujī): both are third + first; 手 must dip, 机 stays high.
以前 (yǐqián): 以 is third tone, 前 is second tone; that’s dip then rise.

Saying the whole sentence with the tones in mind a few times will help smooth out the transitions.