Auparavant (en. Previously)

/o.pa.ʁa.vɑ̃/

Meaning & Definition

EnglishFrench

adverb

At an earlier time or moment.

He lived in Paris before.

Il habitait à Paris auparavant.

Before the present moment.

Before, I did not know this city.

Auparavant, je ne connaissais pas cette ville.

In the past, in contrast to now.

People dressed differently before.

Les gens s'habillaient différemment auparavant.

From Old French 'auparavant', composed of 'au' and ' auparavant'.

Before, it was better.

An expression indicating that one thinks a previous time was superior.

auparavant, c'était mieux

to do beforehand

To perform an action before another event.

faire auparavant

Before, I was happy.

Reference to a state of happiness in the past.

auparavant, j'étais heureux

before

Indicating an earlier time in relation to another.

avant

Referring to what comes before in time.

past

Relates to a period that is no longer current.

passé

Back then, used in informal speech to reference a past time.

Back then, it was simpler, you know.

À l'époque, c'était plus simple, tu sais.

Once upon a time, often used to evoke nostalgia.

Once upon a time, we spent more time together.

Autrefois, on passait plus de temps ensemble.