Breakdown of Długo czekamy przed tym występem.
ten
this (m)
długo
for a long time
czekać
to wait
przed
before (in time)
występ
performance (m)
Questions & Answers about Długo czekamy przed tym występem.
The lesson is about time, but doesn't przed usually mean 'in front of' like a location?
It can mean both! Przed means 'in front of' for physical space, but it is also the standard word for 'before' when talking about time. Both meanings use the exact same grammar rules.
Why are tym and występem in the Instrumental case here?
Because of the preposition przed. Whether przed means 'before' (time) or 'in front of' (space), it always requires the following noun phrase to be in the Instrumental case. Here, the basic masculine noun występ (performance) becomes występem, and the word for 'this' (ten) becomes tym.
Why use the word długo instead of something like długi czas (a long time)?
Wait, is występem a masculine or neuter noun? They both end in -em in the Instrumental case.
It is masculine. The basic dictionary form is występ (performance). Since it ends in a consonant, it is a masculine noun. In the Instrumental case, masculine and neuter nouns share the exact same endings (-em or -iem), which is why they look identical here.
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