之前 (zhī qián) — before; ago; previously
Definition
之前 marks an earlier time and pairs with a time reference ('two days 之前') or stands alone ('之前的事'). Unlike 以前 it refers to a specific point relative to now, not a vague past.
noun
beforeagopreviously
Examples
- 之前。Wǒ zhī qián zhù zài zhōng guó.I lived in China before.
- 之前，。Zài kǎo shì zhī qián, wǒ hěn jǐn zhāng.Before the exam, I was very nervous.
- 之前。zhī qián De shì qing wǒ dōu wàng le.I've forgotten everything from before.
Grammar
Appears in
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