ahead; in front
physical position or movement toward the front
Mergeți înainte până la semafor.
Go straight ahead to the traffic light.
Mașina din față a mers înainte.
The car in front moved forward.
#176 · Adverb · ADV
In Romanian, înainte means “ahead; in front”. It’s the #176 most frequently used Romanian word. Below you’ll find how to use it, its forms, real example sentences, and common word pairings.
Adverb de direcție, timp și ordine: expresses movement or position toward the front, earlier time, or a prior step in a sequence.
neutralphysical position or movement toward the front
Go straight ahead to the traffic light.
The car in front moved forward.
used for time or order, often in comparisons or sequence
He arrived before the scheduled time.
I hadn't seen her before.
often in instructions, planning, or set order
Read the instructions first.
Tell me in advance if you can't come.
Ranked by how often each form shows up in spoken Romanian. The top form cover about 100% of everyday use — learn these first.
merge / mergeți / du-te înainte
Used for moving forward or giving directions.
Mergeți înainte două sute de metri.
Go straight ahead for two hundred meters.
înainte de + noun / infinitive
Means 'before' in time.
Înainte de plecare, verifică actele.
Before leaving, check the documents.
cu mult înainte
Means 'well in advance'.
Am rezervat biletele cu mult înainte.
We booked the tickets well in advance.
Mergeți înainte și apoi faceți stânga.
Go straight ahead and then turn left.
înainte - direction
Nu am mai fost aici înainte.
I haven't been here before.
înainte - time
Trebuie să plătești înainte.
You have to pay in advance.
înainte - prior action
Common phrases built around înainte — worth learning as whole units.
lit. “before that”
lit. “before of”