On Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 3:15:46 AM UTC-7, tonbei wrote:
> My question is about a usage of "before."
> When "before" take no word after itself like in this case, does it mean simply
> "before the current day."? If so, it would be of the same meaning as "I met him two days ago,"
> Is this right?

That's the idea, but it's not quite right. This use of "before" usually to a
time before some other time in the past, whereas "ago" usually refers
to a time before the present. Thus if I were telling someone today about
someone I met on Dec. 4, I'd say "I met him two days ago." But if I were
talking about a conversation I had on Dec. 4 with someone I met on Dec.
2, I'd say, "I'd met him two days before" (or "two days earlier"--some
people say "two days prior").

--
Jerry Friedman

2023年12月7日木曜日 10:32:48 UTC+9 Jerry Friedman:
> On Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 11:45:33 AM UTC-7, tonbei wrote:

If AI had said before everything else, " such a usage of "before, as intending to mean three days earlier than today, wouldn't be a general one." it would have been a perfect answer.
Anyway, it's been shown that AI isn't perfect yet as a guide for English language learners.

On 07-Dec-23 5:25, tonbei wrote:
> 2023年12月7日木曜日 10:32:48 UTC+9 Jerry Friedman:
>> On Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 11:45:33 AM UTC-7, tonbei wrote:
>
> If AI had said before everything else, " such a usage of "before, as intending to mean three days earlier than today, wouldn't be a general one." it would have been a perfect answer.
> Anyway, it's been shown that AI isn't perfect yet as a guide for English language learners.

You use of "AI" and "perfect" within a single sentence worries me.

--
Sam Plusnet