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NounsHSK 3

Expressing "before" in general with 以前

Use 以前 (yǐqián) to mean "before" or "in the past." It can start the sentence before the subject, or follow the subject directly, without changing the meaning. Common mistake: learners may place 以前 after the time phrase when no specific time is mentioned; here, 以前 alone suffices.

Structure

以前 + Subj. + Verb + Obj.
Subj. + 以前 + Verb + Obj.

Examples

  • 以前我不会说中文。
    Yǐqián wǒ bù huì shuō Zhōngwén.
    Before, I could not speak Chinese.
  • 你以前住在哪儿？
    Nǐ yǐqián zhù zài nǎr?
    Before, where did you live?
  • 以前他是我们的客户吗？
    Yǐqián tā shì wǒmen de kèhù ma?
    Was he our client before?
  • 以前他是一个服务员，现在是老板。
    Yǐqián tā shì yī gè fúwùyuán, xiànzài shì lǎobǎn.
    Before, he was a waiter. Now, he is a boss.
  • 我父母以前都是老师。
    Wǒ fùmǔ yǐqián dōu shì lǎoshī.
    Before, both of my parents were teachers.

Words that use this