While using "before/after" with nouns is simple, using them with verbs requires specific suffixes to turn the action into a time-based adverbial phrase.
Rule: Before doing (mAdAn önce)
Structure:
$$Verb Root + mAdAn + önce$$
mAdAn: Has only two forms (madan / meden) based on 2-way vowel harmony.
Example: Gülmeden önce (Before laughing).
Rule: After doing (DIktAn sonra)
Structure:
$$Verb Root + DIktAn + sonra$$
DIktAn: This is a complex suffix. It follows 4-way vowel harmony and the Fıstıkçı Şahap rule, resulting in 8 possible forms (e.g., dıktan, dikten, tıktan, tikten, etc.).
Example: Okuduktan sonra (After reading).
Comparison & Practical Examples:
Context | Turkish Sentence | English Translation |
Before Verb | Evden çıkmadan önce | Before leaving home |
After Verb | Evden çıktıktan sonra | After leaving home |
Before Verb | Soru sormadan önce | Before asking a question |
After Verb | Soru sorduktan sonra | After asking a question |
Full Sentence Examples:
Ayşe duş aldıktan sonra uyudu: Ayşe slept after she took a shower.
Spora gitmeden önce yemek yeme: Don't eat before going to sports.
Ödevimi bitirdikten sonra dışarı çıkacağım: I will go out after I finish my homework.