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 words

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

Related Words

Antonym: 食後(しょくご) (after a meal)

Related: 空腹時(くうふくじ) (on an empty stomach)

general

Added 2026.3.30 23:26 · Revised 2026.9.4 21:29

20500/20726_shokuzen