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Expressing "pre-" or "beforehand" with 预 (yù)
Structure
预 + Verb/Noun
Explanation
预 (yù) is a prefix meaning "pre-," "in advance," or "beforehand," used to indicate that an action or arrangement is done ahead of time. It combines with verbs and nouns to form compound words like 预算 (budget/pre-calculate), 预测 (predict), and 预防 (prevent). It is a productive morpheme in formal and written Chinese.
Examples
天气预报说明天会下雨，出门记得带伞。
Tiānqì yùbào shuō míngtiān huì xiàyǔ, chūmén jìde dài sǎn.
The weather forecast says it will rain tomorrow — remember to bring an umbrella when you go out.
这个结果完全在我们的预期之内。
Zhège jiéguǒ wánquán zài wǒmen de yùqī zhī nèi.
This result is completely within our expectations.
提前做好预防措施，可以减少很多麻烦。
Tíqián zuò hǎo yùfáng cuòshī, kěyǐ jiǎnshǎo hěn duō máfan.
Taking preventive measures in advance can reduce a lot of trouble.