Breakdown of Înainte de a aproba cererea, funcționarul verifică dosarul.
a verifica
to check
înainte de a
before doing; prior to doing
funcționarul
the clerk; civil servant
dosarul
the dossier; case file
Questions & Answers about Înainte de a aproba cererea, funcționarul verifică dosarul.
What does înainte de a mean here, and how is it built?
Înainte de a means before doing something.
It is a very common Romanian pattern:
- înainte = before
- de a = a structure used before an infinitive verb
- aproba = to approve
So:
- Înainte de a aproba cererea = Before approving the application / Before he approves the application
A useful pattern to remember is:
- înainte de a + infinitive
Examples:
- Înainte de a pleca = before leaving
- Înainte de a semna = before signing
- Înainte de a decide = before deciding
Why is it de a aproba and not just înainte aproba?
Because Romanian normally uses de a + infinitive after înainte when the meaning is before doing.
So Romanian does not usually say:
- înainte aproba ❌
Instead, it says:
- înainte de a aproba ✅
This is just the standard grammar pattern. English learners often want to translate word-for-word from before approving, but Romanian needs that extra structure.
Think of it as:
- înainte de a + verb