食前(しょくぜん)

しょくぜん
noun
before a meal; before eating
1. before a meal; before eating
The period of time just before eating a meal. Commonly used in medical and pharmaceutical contexts for when to take medication.
この薬(くすり)は食前(しょくぜん)に飲(の)む。
Take this medicine before meals.
食前(しょくぜん)に手(て)を洗(あら)いましょう。
Let's wash our hands before eating.
食前(しょくぜん)三十分(さんじゅっぷん)に服用(ふくよう)してください。
Please take it thirty minutes before meals.

Composed of 食(しょく) (meal/eating) + 前(ぜん) (before). Most commonly encountered on medicine labels and pharmacy instructions, where it specifies when to take medication relative to meals.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 食前(しょくぜん)に飲(の)む: to take (medicine) before meals
  • 食前(しょくぜん)服用(ふくよう): to be taken before meals
  • 食前(しょくぜん)三十分(さんじゅっぷん): thirty minutes before meals
  • 食前(しょくぜん)酒(しゅ): aperitif, pre-meal drink

RELATED TERMS:

  • 食後(しょくご): after a meal — the opposite; also common on medicine labels
  • 食間(しょっかん): between meals — another medication timing term (about 2 hours after eating)
  • 空腹時(くうふくじ): on an empty stomach — a related pharmaceutical term
general
Added 2026.3.30 23:26
20500/20726_shokuzen