Learn Hardcore Japanese: zyugyou no mae ni, kyouzai wo tukue no ue ni narabete okimasu. - Before class, I line up the teaching materials on the desk in advance.

授業じゅぎょう　の　前まえ　に、　教材きょうざい　を　机つくえ　の　上うえ　に　並ならべて　おきます。jugyou no mae ni, kyouzai o tsukue no ue ni narabete okimasu.

Before class, I line up the teaching materials on the desk in advance.

Breakdown of jugyou no mae ni, kyouzai o tsukue no ue ni narabete okimasu.

をo

direct object particle

のno

possessive case particle

Questions & Answers about jugyou no mae ni, kyouzai o tsukue no ue ni narabete okimasu.

Why are there spaces between the words? Is that normal Japanese writing?

No. In normal Japanese, this would usually be written as:

授業の前に、教材を机の上に並べておきます。

The spaces are often added in learning materials to make the parts of the sentence easier to see. Native Japanese writing normally does not separate words with spaces.

What does 授業の前に mean literally?

Literally, it is:

授業 = class / lesson
の = links nouns, similar to of or a possessive connection
前 = front / before
に = at / before / in the time frame of

So 授業の前に means before class.

A very literal breakdown would be something like at the time before the class.

What is の doing in 授業の前 and 机の上?

In both places, の connects one noun to another.

授業の前 = the before of class → before class
机の上 = the top of the desk → on the desk / on top of the desk

This is one of the most common uses of の. It often works like of, 's, or a noun modifier in English.

Why are there two に particles in this sentence?