Breakdown of Mielőtt elindulok, a tükör előtt fésülködöm.
mielőtt
before
előtt
in front of
tükör
the mirror
elindulni
to leave
Questions & Answers about Mielőtt elindulok, a tükör előtt fésülködöm.
What does mielőtt mean, and how is it used here?
Mielőtt means before when it introduces a whole clause, like before I leave or before I set off.
So:
- Mielőtt elindulok = Before I leave / before I set off
A useful distinction is:
- mielőtt
- clause = before
- full sentence idea
- clause = before
- előtt
- noun = before / in front of
That is why the sentence has both:
- Mielőtt elindulok = before I leave
- a tükör előtt = in front of the mirror
Why is there a comma after elindulok?
Hungarian normally uses a comma to separate a subordinate clause from the main clause.
Here:
- Mielőtt elindulok = subordinate clause
- a tükör előtt fésülködöm = main clause
So the comma works much like in English:
- Before I leave, I comb my hair in front of the mirror.
Even if English sometimes feels more flexible with commas, Hungarian is more regular about using them in this kind of structure.
What exactly does elindulok mean?