很早以前 (hěn zǎo yǐ qián) — a long time ago; far in the past

Definition

idiom

a long time agofar in the past

很早以前，。
hěn zǎo yǐ qián, Zhè lǐ shì yí piàn sēn lín.
A long time ago, this place was a forest.
很早以前。
Tā hěn zǎo yǐ qián jiù bān zǒu le.
He moved away a long time ago.
很早以前。
Zhè ge gù shi fā shēng hěn zǎo yǐ qián.
This story happened a long time ago.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

彳艮很

Meaning part形符xíngfú

彳彳chì

Sound part声符shēngfú

艮

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

很 is made from 彳, which points to its meaning, and 艮, which gives its sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

棗

棗zǎo早zǎo

Same sound today

The form 早 pairs 日 (sun) with 棗, which gives the sound; an earlier shape of 早 was a picture of an acorn.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape came from a drawing of a person carrying something; in 以, part of that person is still visible on the right.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

In the older form of 前, 止 (foot) and 舟 (boat) showed a foot on a boat moving forward; in the current 前 those parts are shortened.

Appears in