Breakdown of Pre nego što platim ratu, tražim ispravku.
platiti
to pay
pre nego što
before
tražiti
to ask for
rata
an installment
Questions & Answers about Pre nego što platim ratu, tražim ispravku.
What does pre nego što mean, and when do I use it instead of just pre?
Pre nego što means before when it is followed by a full clause, meaning a subject + verb idea, such as platim ratu.
So:
- pre nego što platim ratu = before I pay the installment
- pre plaćanja rate = before the payment of the installment / before paying the installment
Use pre by itself before a noun or noun phrase. Use pre nego što before a verb clause.
Why are both nego and što used here?
Because pre nego što is a standard conjunction in Serbian meaning before.
It is best learned as one unit:
- pre nego što + verb clause
In this sentence, što is expected because what follows is a full clause: platim ratu. A learner should usually treat pre nego što as a fixed expression, rather than trying to translate each word separately.
Why is the verb platim and not plaćam?
Because platim comes from the perfective verb platiti, which focuses on a single completed act: to pay off / to make the payment.
Compare:
- platim = I pay, in the sense of completing the payment