直 前(ちょくぜん)

ちょくぜん

noun

just before, immediately before

time-general

See also: 直後(ちょくご) (immediately after)

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

Similar words

直後(ちょくご): immediately after (the opposite)

Related Words

Compare: 眼前(がんぜん) (before one's eyes)

general

Added 2026.2.26 21:22 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01

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