寸前

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 寸前(すんぜん) means the moment or state immediately before something happens.
• Basic usage: It describes rushing aboard and barely catching a train just before departure.
  • 発車寸前に駆け込み、どうにか電車に乗れた。

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• An imminent event
  • 落ちる寸前 means being just about to fall. The expression alone does not establish that the fall eventually happened.