neru mae ni, kodomo ni moufu o kakete agemasu.

child

Breakdown of neru mae ni, kodomo ni moufu o kakete agemasu.

• を: direct object particle
• に: time particle
• 前まえ: before

Questions & Answers about neru mae ni, kodomo ni moufu o kakete agemasu.

Why is it 寝る前に and not 寝ます前に?

Because 前 is a noun, and when a verb comes before a noun in Japanese, it usually appears in its plain form, not the ます-form.

So:

• 寝る前 = before sleeping / before going to bed
• not 寝ます前

This is the same pattern as:

• 食べる前 = before eating
• 行く前 = before going
• 勉強する前 = before studying

So 寝る前に is the natural grammar pattern.

What does 前に mean here, and why is there a に?

前 means before, but as a noun it often needs に when used as a time expression.

So:

• 寝る前に = before sleeping
• literally, at the time before sleeping

The に marks the time point when the action happens.

In this sentence, it shows that the action 子供に毛布をかけてあげます happens before going to bed.

Why is there a に after 子供?