Questions & Answers about Перед уходом я повесил свитер в прихожей.
Why does перед require уходом (instrumental)? Why not some other case?
The preposition перед meaning before / in front of normally governs the instrumental case in Russian.
So перед уходом = before leaving (literally before the departure/leaving, with уход in instrumental: уходом).
What exactly is уходом—a verb or a noun? How does it relate to уходить?
Уход is a noun meaning leaving / departure. It’s related to the verb уходить (to leave).
Russian often uses a noun like this after prepositions:
- перед уходом = before leaving
- после ухода = after leaving
Could I also say перед тем как уйти? Is it the same?
Yes. Перед тем как уйти = before (I) leave is a common alternative.
Difference in feel:
- перед уходом is more compact, slightly more “noun-like” (before the departure).
- перед тем как уйти is more explicitly verbal (before (I) leave).