Before Clauses
To say that one event happens before another, Russian uses the conjunction phrases до того как and перед тем как. They both mean "before" and are completely interchangeable.
| Before the performance begins, the actors sit in the dressing room. | До того как начинается спектакль, актёры сидят в гримёрке. |
The "before" clause can come before or after the main clause. Always separate them with a comma.
| Before the rehearsal begins, the director reads the text. | Перед тем как начинается репетиция, режиссёр читает текст. |
Using the Infinitive
If the two clauses have different subjects, use a conjugated verb in the subordinate clause (as seen above, with the actors/performance and director/rehearsal).
However, if the subject is the same in both clauses, the verb in the "before" clause takes the infinitive.
| The actor stood backstage before going out onto the stage. | Актёр стоял за кулисами, перед тем как выйти на сцену. |
| We will rehearse the new role before we perform. | Мы будем репетировать новую роль, перед тем как выступать. |
This rule also applies to commands, since the implied subject is "you" for both actions.
| Repeat your text before going out on stage. | Повтори свой текст, перед тем как выходить на сцену. |
At the Theater
Let's apply this grammar to the theater. Whether actors are waiting backstage (за кулисами) or the director is preparing for the curtain (занавес) to rise, these clauses help describe the exact sequence of events.
| The director went backstage before they opened the curtain. | Режиссёр пошёл за кулисы, до того как открыли занавес. |
Notice that открыли (they opened) is a conjugated verb. Even though "they" is unspecified, it is a different subject from the director, so we do not use an infinitive.
| Thanks to the rehearsal she learned the role before they opened the curtain. | Благодаря репетиции она выучила роль, до того как открыли занавес. |
