[Vocabulary] The meaning of `to`

[GoldfishLord]

Before - used to say that something happens after a period of time
1. It was several minutes before we realised what was happening.
2. It will be a while before we know the results.

from:http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/before
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What''s the exact meaning of was and be?
I tried to look the word up in the dictionaries but I don't know about that.

Thank you very much.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Having read the last sentence above, I think a link is missing.

 

[Roman55]

What's any of that got to do with, 'the meaning of to'?

 

[Matthew Wai]

1. Several minutes passed before ...
2. A while will pass before ...

 

[GoldfishLord]

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Before - used to say that something happens after a period of time
1. It "was" several minutes before we realised what was happening.
2. It will "be" a while before we know the results.

from:http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/before
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So does "was" mean "took"? And does "be" mean "take"?

 

[Raymott]

You can substitute those words in this case. Yes, that's what they "mean", though I wouldn't use that term.

 

[GoesStation]

So does "was" mean "took"? And does "be" mean "take"?

No, and no. You can substitute took for was and take for be in your examples, but it's not a general rule.