Перед тим як поливати саджанець, перевірте садовий шланг.

before

Breakdown of Перед тим як поливати саджанець, перевірте садовий шланг.

• перевірити: to check
• саджанець: the young plant
• садовий шланг: the garden hose

Questions & Answers about Перед тим як поливати саджанець, перевірте садовий шланг.

What does перед тим як mean, and why is it тим?

Перед тим як means before or before doing something.

Literally, it is built from:

• перед = before / in front of
• тим = that in the instrumental case
• як = how / as

So the phrase is literally something like before that, as..., but in normal English you should just understand it as before.

Why тим? Because перед normally requires the instrumental case, so те becomes тим.

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Why is поливати in the infinitive?

After перед тим як, Ukrainian often uses an infinitive when speaking generally about an action, especially when the subject is the same as in the main clause.

So:

• Перед тим як поливати саджанець... = Before watering the sapling...

English often uses a gerund (watering) here, but Ukrainian commonly uses the infinitive (поливати).

You could also use a full clause, for example:

• Перед тим як ви будете поливати саджанець...

But the infinitive version is shorter and very natural.

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Why is it поливати, not полити?