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- <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_(博雅汉语初经起步篇)" 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> </p>
- <p><a href="Category:A2_grammar_points" title="wikilink">Category:A2 grammar points</a></p>
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