前もって
Meaning in Englishin advance, beforehand, previously
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
What does 前もって mean? It means doing something in advance, prior to a specific time or event, often to ensure readiness or to inform others. It describes an intentional lead time or pre-arrangement rather than an action taken spontaneously.
Main meanings
- in advance or beforehand as an adverb modifying the main verb
- used to express prior notice or preparation in formal or business contexts
- conveys proactive planning or scheduling before an event or decision
How to use it
Used before verbs to indicate that an action is done ahead of time; appropriate in formal, corporate, and official communication. For example, 会議の前に前もって通知します。イベントの準備は前もって済ませておくべきです。
Variants and close terms
- あらかじめ — arakajime
- 事前に — jizen ni
- 予め — arakajime
- 先に — saki ni
Composition
- 前: before, in front
- もって: te-form of 持つ, indicating 'having' or 'holding' in preparation
Etymology
前 + もって (the te-form of 持つ). The phrase developed from the literal sense of 'holding in front' to a figurative sense of preparatory action, with phonetic simplification leading to maemotte.
Origin
Attested in classical Japanese and continued into early modern usage; its sense of anticipatory action appears in formal and administrative language, with stable meaning in contemporary Japanese.
Word class
adverb (副詞)