ensoku no mae ni obentou no junbi o shite oita hou ga ii desu.

It is better to prepare your lunch box before the school trip.

Breakdown of ensoku no mae ni obentou no junbi o shite oita hou ga ii desu.

• です: to be
• を: direct object particle
• が: subject particle
• いい: good

Questions & Answers about ensoku no mae ni obentou no junbi o shite oita hou ga ii desu.

Why are there spaces between the words?

In normal Japanese writing, there usually are no spaces:

遠足の前にお弁当の準備をしておいたほうがいいです。

Textbooks and beginner materials often add spaces to show word boundaries more clearly. They are just a learning aid.

What is the role of の in 遠足の前?

Here, の connects the noun 遠足 to 前.

• 遠足 = excursion / field trip
• 前 = before

So 遠足の前 means before the excursion.

A very literal breakdown would be something like the before of the excursion, but natural English is simply before the excursion.

Why is there a に after 前?

In 遠足の前に, the に marks the time point before which something happens.

So:

• 遠足の前に = before the excursion
• 出かける前に = before going out
• 食べる前に = before eating

This is a very common pattern in Japanese.

What does お弁当の準備 mean, and why is there another の?