The Chinese word 以前 means “before” or “previously”. It is commonly used to indicate a time or event that occurred in the past, such as “before I went to college” or “previously, I worked as a teacher”. It can also be used to refer to a time period, such as “in the past” or “before this moment”. In Chinese grammar, 以前 is often used in conjunction with other time-related words to form more complex phrases, such as “a few years before” or “before the end of the month”.
Translation
Time: before
Adverb: previous, formerly
Pronunciation
Example Sentences
| Chinese | Pinyin | Engish |
|---|---|---|
| 以前，我不知道如何做饭 | yǐqián, wǒ bù zhīdào rúhé zuòfàn | Before, I didn’t know how to cook |
| 我以前住在纽约 | wǒ yǐqián zhù zài niǔyuē | I used to live in New York |
| 以前，我喜欢吃肉，现在我吃素 | yǐqián, wǒ xǐhuān chī ròu, xiànzài wǒ chī sù | I used to like eating meat, but now I’m a vegetarian |
| 我以前从不喝咖啡，现在每天都喝 | wǒ yǐqián cóng bù hē kāfēi, xiànzài měitiān dōu hē | I never used to drink coffee, but now I have it every day |
| 以前，我每天都去健身房 | yǐqián, wǒ měitiān dōu qù jiànshēnfáng | I used to go to the gym every day |
| 我以前不喜欢旅行，现在很喜欢 | wǒ yǐqián bù xǐhuān lǚxíng, xiànzài hěn xǐhuān | I didn’t like traveling before, but now I really enjoy it |
| 以前，我不会说中文 | yǐqián, wǒ bù huì shuō zhōngwén | Before, I couldn’t speak Chinese |
HSK
以前 is part of HSK Level 3 in HSK 2.0. In the newer HSK 3.0 it is part of HSK Level 2.
Learning Card
