此前 (cǐ qián) — before this; previously; prior to this | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Written/formal 'before this, previously' — used in reports and official contexts. More literary than 以前 or 之前, which work in everyday speech.

noun

before thispreviouslyprior to this

Examples

此前，。
cǐ qián, Gōng sī yǐ jīng jiě jué le zhè ge wèn tí.
Before this, the company had already solved this problem.
，。
Jù cǐ qián bào dào, shì jiàn fā shēng zài zuó tiān wǎn shàng.
According to previous reports, the incident happened last night.
此前。
Huì yì cǐ qián jué dìng tuī chí dào xià zhōu.
The meeting previously decided to be postponed to next week.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

前qiánbefore; front

此 + 前 = 此前: before this, i.e. previously.

Characters in this word

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

止止zhǐfeet
人人rénperson

此 shows 止 (feet) and 人 (person), drawing a person stopping, to mean 'this' or 'here.'

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

止止zhǐfoot
舟舟zhōuboat

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

HSK 3.0 Level 5 Time (Abstract)

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