<p>Both the two sentences &quot;<strong>尾班車開出前</strong>5分鐘&quot; and &quot;<strong>尾班車開出</strong>5分鐘前&quot; are fine with the former less prone to misconception. The listener could have missed &quot;前&quot; in the latter sentence when in a hurry, then the sentence becomes &quot;尾班車開出5分鐘~*#@&quot;, and he can be late by 5 minutes. :)</p>
<p>The equivalent English sentences:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>尾班車開出前<strong>5分鐘</strong> - 5 minutes prior to the departure of the bus.</p>
</li>
<li><p>尾班車開出<strong>5分鐘前</strong> - 5 minutes before to the departure of the bus.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Essentially, there is no difference.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-13T16:46:44.487Z
2022-05-13T19:43:43.290Z
2022-05-13T19:43:43.290Z
r13
<p>尾班車開出5分鐘前 has 歧义: it has another reading as before the last bus has departed for 5 mins. This problem is created because different possible syntactical analyses lead to different semantic meanings. 開出5分鐘｜前 is possible (more natural), so is 開出｜5分鐘前.</p>
<p>However, if you change 前 to 后, it works. 尾班車開出5分鐘后 has no 歧义 because 開出5分鐘｜后 (after the bus departed for 5 mins) and 開出｜5分鐘后 (5 mins after the bus departed) leads to the same meaning.</p>
<p>This structure of 尾班車開出前5分鐘 is better since it has no 歧义 and also the reason brought up by @r13. 前 is more emphasized and less likely to miss.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-13T17:49:50.070Z
2022-05-13T17:56:19.720Z
2022-05-13T17:56:19.720Z
lilysirius
<ol>
<li><p>尾班車開出前(的)[5分鐘] --&gt;   [the five minutes] before the last train departs</p>
</li>
<li><p>尾班車開出(的)[5分鐘前] --&gt; [at five minutes before] the last train departs</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>#1 describes the time period 5分鐘 (the five minutes) --&gt; how long before the last train departs</p>
<p>#2 describes the exact time 5分鐘前 (at five minutes before)</p>
<p>Similarly:</p>
<ol start="3">
<li><p>尾班車開出後(的)[5分鐘] --&gt; [the five minutes] after the last train departed</p>
</li>
<li><p>尾班車開出(的)[5分鐘後] --&gt; [at five minutes after] the last train departed</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>#3 describes the time period 5分鐘 (the five minutes) --&gt; how long after the last train departed</p>
<p>#4 describes the exact time 5分鐘後 (at five minutes after)</p>
<p>Let me put it in context:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>在尾班車開出前的5分鐘內 車門一直開著 -- During the 5 minutes before the last train leaves, the doors stay open</p>
</li>
<li><p>在尾班車開出的5分鐘前 車門才打開 -- Doors opened 5 minutes before the last train left.</p>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-13T06:37:14.110Z
2022-05-13T07:01:28.420Z
2022-05-13T07:01:28.420Z
Tang Ho
<p>In this phrase: 尾班車開出前5分鐘, is meant to signify “5 minutes before the departure of the last train”.</p>
<p>I find the structure a bit strange for me. In my mind, I would have thought of something like: 尾班車開出5分鐘前.</p>
<p>I am familiar with the structure: “event 之前” to mean “before the event”, but i am unsure how to create a phrase with added modifiers like time or place.</p>
<p>Please provided some insights.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-13T05:46:09.597Z
This phrase is the simplified version of "在尾班車開出之前的5分鐘内".
Evan_Bradley
<grammar><sentence-structure><preposition>
Structure for the phrase 尾班車開出前5分鐘
# Structure for the phrase 尾班車開出前5分鐘

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-05-13)

In this phrase: 尾班車開出前5分鐘, is meant to signify “5 minutes before the departure of the last train”.

I find the structure a bit strange for me. In my mind, I would have thought of something like: 尾班車開出5分鐘前.

I am familiar with the structure: “event 之前” to mean “before the event”, but i am unsure how to create a phrase with added modifiers like time or place.

Please provided some insights.

**Tags:** grammar, sentence-structure, preposition
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This phrase is the simplified version of "在尾班車開出之前的5分鐘内".  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2022-05-13. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

Both the two sentences "**尾班車開出前**5分鐘" and "**尾班車開出**5分鐘前" are fine with the former less prone to misconception. The listener could have missed "前" in the latter sentence when in a hurry, then the sentence becomes "尾班車開出5分鐘~\*#@", and he can be late by 5 minutes. :)

The equivalent English sentences:

* 尾班車開出前**5分鐘** - 5 minutes prior to the departure of the bus.
* 尾班車開出**5分鐘前** - 5 minutes before to the departure of the bus.

Essentially, there is no difference.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2022-05-13. Score: 3

尾班車開出5分鐘前 has 歧义: it has another reading as before the last bus has departed for 5 mins. This problem is created because different possible syntactical analyses lead to different semantic meanings. 開出5分鐘｜前 is possible (more natural), so is 開出｜5分鐘前.

However, if you change 前 to 后, it works. 尾班車開出5分鐘后 has no 歧义 because 開出5分鐘｜后 (after the bus departed for 5 mins) and 開出｜5分鐘后 (5 mins after the bus departed) leads to the same meaning.

This structure of 尾班車開出前5分鐘 is better since it has no 歧义 and also the reason brought up by @r13. 前 is more emphasized and less likely to miss.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2022-05-13. Score: 1

1. 尾班車開出前(的)[5分鐘] --> [the five minutes] before the last train departs
2. 尾班車開出(的)[5分鐘前] --> [at five minutes before] the last train departs

#1 describes the time period 5分鐘 (the five minutes) --> how long before the last train departs

#2 describes the exact time 5分鐘前 (at five minutes before)

Similarly:

3. 尾班車開出後(的)[5分鐘] --> [the five minutes] after the last train departed
4. 尾班車開出(的)[5分鐘後] --> [at five minutes after] the last train departed

#3 describes the time period 5分鐘 (the five minutes) --> how long after the last train departed

#4 describes the exact time 5分鐘後 (at five minutes after)

Let me put it in context:

* 在尾班車開出前的5分鐘內 車門一直開著 -- During the 5 minutes before the last train leaves, the doors stay open
* 在尾班車開出的5分鐘前 車門才打開 -- Doors opened 5 minutes before the last train left.


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