What is the difference between evvel and önce?
I think they both mean before .. but how are they used differently? Is evvel used with time, and önce used with verbs/actions? Thank you so much!

Question

Answer

They both mean "before, ago, first". But "evvel" is rather obsolete, it's rarely used in everyday conversations.

"Bir an evvel" is a phrase that you may hear from people. It means "as soon as possible" You can say it using "önce". "Bir an önce"

Bir an evvel eve dönmek istiyorum. (I want to return home as soon as possible.)

Also, you may hear in tales "Evvel zaman içinde" (Once upon a time)

Examples;

Önce ödevini bitir, sonra oynamaya çıkabilirsin. (First finish your homework, then you can go out to play.) - You can't use evvel here.

-İki gün önce eski bir arkadaşımla karşılaştım. ( Two days ago I came across an old friend.)

-Bu şarkıyı daha önce/evvel duymuştum. (I've heard this song before.)

-Son tren az önce/evvel gitti. (Last train has just left.)

Yatmadan önce/evvel süt içer. (He drinks milk before he sleeps.)

Her şeyden önce/evvel şunu söylemek isterim... (First of all, I'd like to say...)

It's not wrong to use "evvel" in these sentences but it's not common.

Answer

we barely use 'evvel' .. almost never.