Breakdown of Esperamos antes de que empiece la audiometría.
esperar
to wait
empezar
to start
antes de que
before
la audiometría
the hearing test
Questions & Answers about Esperamos antes de que empiece la audiometría.
Why is it empiece and not empieza?
Because antes de que normally triggers the subjunctive in Spanish when it refers to something that has not happened yet.
- empieza = present indicative
- empiece = present subjunctive
In this sentence, the audiometry test is something that will happen later, after the waiting, so Spanish uses the subjunctive:
- Esperamos antes de que empiece la audiometría.
This is very common after time expressions like antes de que, hasta que, and cuando, when the action is still in the future from the speaker’s point of view.
Why do we need de que after antes?
Because the full conjunction is antes de que, which means before when it is followed by a conjugated verb.
Compare:
antes de + infinitive
Esperamos antes de entrar.
= We wait before entering.antes de que + subjunctive
Esperamos antes de que empiece la audiometría.
= We wait before the audiometry begins.
So:
- use antes de if the next verb is an infinitive
- use antes de que if the next verb has its own subject and is conjugated
Could this sentence also be said as Esperamos antes de empezar la audiometría?