kabla
KAH-blah
How to say it
SwahilikablaKAH-blah
Englishbefore (in kabla ya)
Frenchavant (kabla ya)
Meaning
A word that places one event earlier than another; it is almost always followed by ya.
Good to know
Kabla ya comes before a noun or an infinitive: kabla ya saa tatu, before nine o'clock; kabla ya kula, before eating. Alone it means beforehand, and its opposite is baada ya.
Examples
- Osha mikono kabla ya kula.Wash your hands before eating.
- Tulifika kabla ya mvua kuanza.We arrived before the rain started.
- Alinipigia simu siku moja kabla.He phoned me one day before.
The same word in
Not yet checked by a native speaker.