<!DOCTYPE html> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <meta name="generator" content= "HTML Tidy for HTML5 for Linux version 5.2.0" /> <title></title> </head> <body> <p>As well as talking about the <a href= "Expressing_"before"_in_general_with_"yiqian"" title="wikilink">past in general</a>, you can use 以前 (yǐqián) to talk about things that happened <em>before</em> a specific time.</p> <h2 id="structure">Structure</h2> <div class="jiegou"> <p>Time / Verb + 以前, ....</p> </div> <p>The time can be a specific time, or an action (technically, "<em>when</em> the action was done").</p> <h2 id="examples">Examples</h2> <div class="liju"> <ul> <li><strong>吃饭</strong> <em>以前</em> ，你 洗 手 了 吗？<span class= "pinyin"><strong>Chīfàn</strong> <em>yǐqián</em>, nǐ xǐ shǒu le ma?</span><span class="trans">Did you wash your hands before eating?</span></li> <li><strong>睡觉</strong> <em>以前</em> ，不要 吃 东西。<span class= "pinyin"><strong>Shuìjiào</strong> <em>yǐqián</em>, bùyào chī dōngxi.</span><span class="trans">Don't eat anything before you go to sleep.</span></li> <li><strong>两 年</strong> <em>以前</em> ， 你 认识 他 吗？ <span class= "pinyin"><strong>Liǎng nián</strong> <em>yǐqián</em>, nǐ rènshi tā ma?</span> <span class="trans">Did you know him two years ago?</span></li> <li><strong>星期五</strong> <em>以前</em> ，你 要 做 完 这些 工作。<span class= "pinyin"><strong>Xīngqīwǔ</strong> <em>yǐqián</em>, nǐ yào zuò wán zhèxiē gōngzuò.</span><span class="trans">You need to finish this work before Friday.</span></li> <li><strong>上 大学</strong> <em>以前</em>，你 来 过 上海 吗？<span class= "pinyin"><strong>Shàng dàxué</strong> <em>yǐqián</em>, nǐ lái guo shànghǎi ma?</span> <span class="trans">Before you went to college, did you ever come to Shanghai?</span></li> <li><strong>结婚</strong> <em>以前</em> ，你 应该 先 买 房子。<span class= "pinyin"><strong>Jiéhūn</strong> <em>yǐqián</em>, nǐ yīnggāi xiān mǎi fángzi.</span><span class="trans">Before getting married, you should first buy a house.</span></li> <li><strong>二十 年</strong> <em>以前</em>，这里 是 一 个 公园。<span class= "pinyin"><strong>Èrshí nián</strong> <em>yǐqián</em>, zhèlǐ shì yī gè gōngyuán.</span><span class="trans">Twenty years ago, this was a park.</span></li> <li><strong>几 个 月</strong> <em>以前</em> ，他们 分手 了。<span class= "pinyin"><strong>Jǐ gè yuè</strong> <em>yǐqián</em>, tāmen fēnshǒu le.</span><span class="trans">They broke up a few months ago.</span></li> <li><strong>毕业</strong> <em>以前</em>，我 要 找到 工作。<span class= "pinyin"><strong>Bìyè</strong> <em>yǐqián</em>, wǒ yào zhǎodào gōngzuò.</span><span class="trans">I need to find a job before graduation.</span></li> <li><strong>当 总统</strong> <em>以前</em>，Obama 没有 白 头发。<span class= "pinyin"><strong>Dāng zǒngtǒng</strong> <em>yǐqián</em>, Obama méiyǒu bái tóufa.</span><span class="trans">Before he became the president, Obama didn't have white hair.</span></li> </ul> </div> <p>Note that this use of 以前 (yǐqián) can also be shortened to 前 (qián).</p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul> <li><a href="After_a_specific_time" title="wikilink">After a specific time</a></li> <li><a href= "Expressing_"before"_in_general_with_"yiqian"" title="wikilink">Expressing "before" in general with "yiqian"</a></li> <li><a href= "Before_and_after_with_"zhiqian"_and_"zhihou"" title="wikilink">Before and after with "zhiqian" and "zhihou"</a></li> </ul> <h2 id="sources-and-further-reading">Sources and further reading</h2> <ul> <li><a href="Modern_Mandarin_Chinese_Grammar:_A_Practical_Guide" title="wikilink">Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide</a> (pp. 260-1) <a href= "http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415700108?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0415700108"> →buy</a></li> <li><a href= "Boya_Chinese_Elementary_Starter_2_(%E5%8D%9A%E9%9B%85%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E5%88%9D%E7%BB%8F%E8%B5%B7%E6%AD%A5%E7%AF%87)" title="wikilink">Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 2 (博雅汉语初经起步篇)</a> (pp. 11-12) <a href= "http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7301078617/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=7301078617"> →buy</a></li> </ul> <p><a href="Category:A2_grammar_points" title= "wikilink">Category:A2 grammar points</a></p> </body> </html>