What is TEXTBEFORE called in Spanish?

In Spanish Excel it is TEXTOANTES. The formula =TEXTBEFORE(A2,", ") is written =TEXTOANTES(A2;", ") (or with commas in Mexico).

Why does TEXTBEFORE use semicolons in some Excel versions?

It depends on regional settings. Where the comma is the decimal mark (Spain, much of South America), Excel separates arguments with semicolons. English Excel and Mexican Spanish Excel use commas.

Excel TEXTBEFORE function

Returns the text that comes before a delimiter. In Spanish Excel it is called TEXTOANTES.

Syntax

English Excel

=TEXTBEFORE(text, delimiter, [instance_num])

Spanish Excel (Mexico)

=TEXTOANTES(texto, delimitador, [núm_instancia])

Spanish Excel (Spain, Latin America)

=TEXTOANTES(texto; delimitador; [núm_instancia])

Argument	What it is
text	The full text.
delimiter	What marks the cut, such as ", " or "@".
instance_numoptional	Which occurrence to use; negative counts from the end.

Example

TEXTBEFORE(text, delimiter) returns what comes before the delimiter and TEXTAFTER what comes after it. They replace long combinations of LEFT, FIND and MID. Excel 365 only.

=TEXTBEFORE(A2,", ")

Common mistake

Excel 365 only. If the delimiter is not found it returns #N/A; the sixth argument chooses what to show instead.

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Practice TEXTBEFORE

Type the formula in the sheet and check it instantly. Spanish or English function names both work. See all lessons

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My Excel is inExcel functions in English and Spanish

TEXTBEFORE and TEXTAFTER

TEXTBEFORE(text, delimiter) returns what comes before the delimiter and TEXTAFTER what comes after it. They replace long combinations of LEFT, FIND and MID. Excel 365 only.

Example=TEXTBEFORE(A2,", ")TEXTOANTES = TEXTBEFORE TEXTODESPUES = TEXTAFTER

Step 1/2

In B2, extract the last name: everything before the comma.

	A	B	C
1	Full name	Last name	First name
2	Hernández, Carmen
3	Ortiz, Jorge Luis
4	Ramírez, Lucía
5	De la Cruz, Andrés
6	Vega, Paola
7

Tip: while typing, click a cell or drag across several to insert their reference. F4 anchors the reference with $.

Frequently asked questions

What is TEXTBEFORE called in Spanish?: In Spanish Excel it is TEXTOANTES. The formula =TEXTBEFORE(A2,", ") is written =TEXTOANTES(A2;", ") (or with commas in Mexico).
Why does TEXTBEFORE use semicolons in some Excel versions?: It depends on regional settings. Where the comma is the decimal mark (Spain, much of South America), Excel separates arguments with semicolons. English Excel and Mexican Spanish Excel use commas.
What is the most common TEXTBEFORE mistake?: Excel 365 only. If the delimiter is not found it returns #N/A; the sixth argument chooses what to show instead.