Board Game Basics and "Before"
When explaining the rules of a board game, you will often need to talk about pieces like the die (zarul), the playing card (cartonașul), and the pawn (pionul).
To state that one action must happen before another, use the phrase înainte să.
Because înainte să ends with the conjunction să, the verb that follows it must take the subjunctive mood. This is the same verb form you already use when saying you want, need, or can do something.
Different Subjects in "Before" Clauses
The verb immediately following înainte să conjugates to match whoever (or whatever) is performing that specific action. Often, this is the player being instructed, but it can also be an event, such as a match or a competition beginning.
When playing, you will place your pieces on the board (tabla).
Planning Your Moves
Let's add the noun for the move (mutarea), the verb to move (a muta), and the token (jetonul) to our vocabulary. Notice how înainte să works seamlessly with both direct commands and statements of obligation.
Scores, Turns, and Opponents
Finally, a good player tracks the score (punctajul), respects the current turn (tura), and greets their opponent (adversarul).