<p>It is part of the construction:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>在....前<br />
'before....' (used as a conjunction).</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Here it means '<strong>Before</strong> you close the file, do you want to save it?' The 在 effectively indicates a point in time, i.e., 'at' a particular time. (Literally translated into English, this would become 'at [the time] before you close the file').</p>
<p>This is typical of constructions like:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>在...前<br />
'before'</p>
<p>在...时<br />
'when'</p>
<p>在...后<br />
'after'</p>
<p>当...时<br />
'when'</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This tends to be a written usage and is omitted in conversation (and often in writing).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-27T02:46:13.383Z
2012-02-27T02:46:13.383Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Bathrobe
<p>I was using a text editor in Chinese, when I tried to exit without saving the currently opened  file it showed me this sentence:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>您要在关闭文件前保存吗？</p>
</blockquote>

<p>What is the role of 在 here? Is it related to the usage of <code>(some event)前</code>? Or can be omitted without altering the sentence meaning?</p>

<mandarin><sentence-structure>
What is the role of 在 in 您要在关闭文件前保存吗？
# What is the role of 在 in 您要在关闭文件前保存吗？

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-02-27)

I was using a text editor in Chinese, when I tried to exit without saving the currently opened file it showed me this sentence:

> 您要在关闭文件前保存吗？

What is the role of 在 here? Is it related to the usage of `(some event)前`? Or can be omitted without altering the sentence meaning?

**Tags:** mandarin, sentence-structure

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2012-02-27. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

It is part of the construction:

> 在....前  
> 'before....' (used as a conjunction).

Here it means '**Before** you close the file, do you want to save it?' The 在 effectively indicates a point in time, i.e., 'at' a particular time. (Literally translated into English, this would become 'at [the time] before you close the file').

This is typical of constructions like:

> 在...前  
> 'before'
>
> 在...时  
> 'when'
>
> 在...后  
> 'after'
>
> 当...时  
> 'when'

This tends to be a written usage and is omitted in conversation (and often in writing).


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