Breakdown of Прежде чем ответить, подумай.
думать
to think
ответить
to answer (perfective)
прежде чем
before (doing something)
Questions & Answers about Прежде чем ответить, подумай.
The lesson is about до того как and перед тем как. Why does this sentence use прежде чем?
Прежде чем is another conjunction meaning "before". It is practically interchangeable with перед тем как, especially when followed by an infinitive. You could easily say перед тем как ответить, but прежде чем is a very natural and common choice here.
Why is ответить in the infinitive here, rather than a conjugated verb?
When the same person is performing both actions (you are thinking, and you will be answering), Russian uses an infinitive after these "before" conjunctions. If the person answering was different from the person thinking, you would have to use a full clause with a conjugated verb.
Could I use до того как in this sentence instead?
Grammatically, yes. However, when followed directly by an infinitive, native speakers strongly prefer прежде чем or перед тем как. До того как is usually saved for full clauses that have their own subject and a conjugated verb.
Why use the perfective verb ответить instead of the imperfective отвечать?
The action of answering is seen as a single, completed event with a specific result (giving the answer). Because it is not a repeated action or an ongoing process, you need the perfective aspect here.
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