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From 押しの子, chapter 2:

[![](https://i.stack.imgur.com/BmLKz.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/BmLKz.png)

A guy in this panel holds a sign that reads 30秒前 to singers before their play
starts. I initially thought it means "30 seconds ago" but from context, it is
best understood as "starting in 30 seconds." If that's case, then why use
30秒前, not 30秒後?
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2023-08-26T21:58:38.017
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2023-08-28T11:03:42.350
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question
word-choice
Why is 前 used instead of 後?
The basic meaning of 前 is not "ago" but "before". 3年前 can mean "3 years ago"
if the reference time point is now (i.e., "3 years before now"), which is the
default interpretation. However, it can also mean "3 years earlier" when the
reference time point is set (either explicitly or implicitly) to somewhere in
the past or the future.

With this in mind, you can interpret this sign as "(it's) 30 seconds before
(the start)". The reference time point is implicitly the start of the song,
not now.

In general, this is how you "count down" in Japanese, and people are
accustomed to this pattern from a young age, for example with a rocket launch
video. You may argue that 30秒後 would also make sense, but if the sign said
something unconventional like 30秒後, the singers would be confused.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-08-27T03:08:10.507
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answer