1.
immediately before; just before; right before
At the very last moment before something happens. Emphasizes how close in time something is to a reference event.
出発直前に電話が来た。
A phone call came right before departure.
試験の直前に体調を崩した。
I fell ill just before the exam.
締め切りの直前になって、やっと資料が届いた。
The materials finally arrived just before the deadline.
Composed of 直 (direct, immediately) and 前 (before) + に (adverbial particle). Often used without に when modifying a noun directly: 直前の準備 (last-minute preparations). The の form functions as a pre-noun modifier.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 出発直前に: right before departure
- 締め切り直前に: just before the deadline
- 直前になって: at the last moment
- 直前まで: until the very last moment
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 寸前に: on the verge of — emphasizes extreme closeness, often to danger or crisis
- 直後に: immediately after — the temporal opposite
- ぎりぎりに: at the last possible moment — more colloquial, emphasizes barely making it