直前(ちょくぜん)

ちょくぜん
noun
just before, immediately before
1. just before, immediately before
The moment or period right before something happens. Emphasizes very close temporal proximity.
出発(しゅっぱつ)直前(ちょくぜん)に電話(でんわ)が来(き)た。
A phone call came just before departure.
試験(しけん)の直前(ちょくぜん)まで勉強(べんきょう)していた。
I was studying right up until just before the exam.
締(し)め切(き)り直前(ちょくぜん)になってようやくレポートを書(か)き始(はじ)めるのは悪(わる)い癖(くせ)だ。
It's a bad habit to only start writing the report just before the deadline.

USAGE:
Used as a temporal noun, typically in the patterns ～の直前(ちょくぜん) (just before ~) or ～直前(ちょくぜん) (immediately before ~, as a compound). Can also be used with に: 直前(ちょくぜん)に (at the last moment). The の is often dropped in compound forms: 出発(しゅっぱつ)直前(ちょくぜん) = just before departure.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 出発(しゅっぱつ)直前(ちょくぜん): just before departure
  • 試験(しけん)直前(ちょくぜん): just before an exam
  • 締(し)め切(き)り直前(ちょくぜん): just before the deadline
  • 直前(ちょくぜん)に中止(ちゅうし)する: to cancel at the last minute

CONTRAST:

  • 直後(ちょくご): immediately after (the opposite)
general
Added 2026.2.26 21:22
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