לפני

Hebrew

Etymology

Root
פ־נ־ה (p-n-h)

לְ־ (l'-, “to, for”) +‎ פְּנֵי (p'néi, “face of”), the latter being the construct form of פָּנִים (paním, “face”).

Pronunciation

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Preposition

לִפְנֵי • (lif'néi)

1. Before, in advance of, prior to.

   דקה לפני הסוף ― daká lif'néi hasóf ― a minute before the end

   לפני שהגעת ― lif'néi shehigá'at(a) ― before you arrived

2. Before, in front of, facing.

   יורד לפני התיבה ― yoréd lifnéi hateivá ― going down in front of the ark

   מודה אני לפניך ― modé aní l'fanécha ― I give thanks before you

3. Ago.

   לפני יומיים ― lif'néi yomáyim ― two days ago

4. (לְפָנַי, l'fanáy) Form of לִפְנֵי (lifnéy) including first-person singular personal pronoun as object.

Inflection

Inflection table

Non-personal-pronoun-including form				לִפְנֵי (lif'néi)
Personal-pronoun- including forms	Singular		Plural
	Masculine	Feminine	Masculine	Feminine
First person	לְפָנַי (l'fanáy)		לְפָנֵינוּ (l'fanéinu)
Second person	לְפָנֶיךָ (l'fanécha)	לְפָנַיִךְ (l'fanáyich)	לִפְנֵיכֶם (lifneichém)	לִפְנֵיכֶן (lifneichén)
Third person	לְפָנָיו (l'fanáv)	לְפָנֶיהָ (l'fanéha)	לִפְנֵיהֶם (lifneihém)	לִפְנֵיהֶן (lifneihén)

Antonyms

• אחרי (acharéi, “after,behind”)
• מאחורי (m'achoréi, “behind, from behind”)

Derived terms

• לפני הספירה (lif'néi has'firá, “BCE”), לפנה״ס (Lif'n. Has., “BCE”)
• לפני ש־ (lif'néi she-, “before that”)

Anagrams

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