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Tools
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[What links
here](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Special:WhatLinksHere/Expressing_%22before%22_and_%22after%22_with_%22zhiqian%22_and_%22zhihou%22)
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[Related
changes](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Special:RecentChangesLinked/Expressing_%22before%22_and_%22after%22_with_%22zhiqian%22_and_%22zhihou%22)
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[Special
pages](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Special:SpecialPages)
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[Printable
version](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/gramwiki/?title=Expressing_%22before%22_and_%22after%22_with_%22zhiqian%22_and_%22zhihou%22&printable=yes)
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[Permanent
link](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/gramwiki/?title=Expressing_%22before%22_and_%22after%22_with_%22zhiqian%22_and_%22zhihou%22&oldid=42462)
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[Page
information](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/gramwiki/?title=Expressing_%22before%22_and_%22after%22_with_%22zhiqian%22_and_%22zhihou%22&action=info)
[](http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1286538933)
[](# "wikilink")
Expressing "before" and "after" with "zhiqian" and "zhihou"
===========================================================
[](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/ASGTD3L3)
-
Level
[B1](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/B1_grammar_points)
-
Similar to
- [In the future in general with
"yihou"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/In_the_future_in_general_with_%22yihou%22) (A2)
- [Comparing "yihou" and
"zhihou"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Comparing_%22yihou%22_and_%22zhihou%22) (B2)
- [Expressing "ever since" with
"zicong"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22ever_since%22_with_%22zicong%22) (B2)
-
Used for
[Sequencing events in
time](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Sequencing_events_in_time),
[Referring to the
past](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Referring_to_the_past),
[Referring to the
future](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Referring_to_the_future)
-
Keywords
[之前](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%B9%8B%E5%89%8D),
[之后](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%B9%8B%E5%90%8E),
[前](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%89%8D),
[后](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E5%90%8E)
-
Translations
[before](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Before),
[after](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/After)
[{width="300"
height="300"}](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/File:Chinese-grammar-wiki-qian.jpg)
Contents
--------
[hide]([# "wikilink")\]
- [1 Used at the
End of a Phrase](#Used_at_the_End_of_a_Phrase "wikilink")
- [1.1
Structure](#Structure "wikilink")
- [1.2
Examples](#Examples "wikilink")
- [2 Used as a
Time Word](#Used_as_a_Time_Word "wikilink")
- [2.1
Structure](#Structure_2 "wikilink")
- [2.2
Examples](#Examples_2 "wikilink")
- [3 Slight
Differences between 之前/之后 and
以前/以后](#Slight_Differences_between_.E4.B9.8B.E5.89.8D.2F.E4.B9.8B.E5.90.8E_and_.E4.BB.A5.E5.89.8D.2F.E4.BB.A5.E5.90.8E "wikilink")
- [4 See
also](#See_also "wikilink")
- [5 Sources and
further reading](#Sources_and_further_reading "wikilink")
- [5.1
Books](#Books "wikilink")
Event + 之前 / 之后 ,⋯⋯
### Examples
- 来 中国 *之前* ,我 的 汉语 很 一般 。Lái
Zhōngguó *zhīqián*, wǒ de Hànyǔ hěn
yībān.Before I came to China, my Chinese
was really mediocre.
- 下班 *之后* 给 我 打 个 电话 。Xiàbān *zhīhòu*
gěi wǒ dǎ gè diànhuà.Give me a call after
you get off work.
- 吃 完 饭 *之后* 去 看 电影 吧 ?Chī wán fàn
*zhīhòu* qù kàn diànyǐng ba?What about
going to the movies after eating dinner?
- 出国 *之前* ,他 和 女朋友 分手了 。Chūguó
*zhīqián*, tā hé nǚpéngyou fēnshǒu
le.Before he went abroad, he broke up
with his girlfriend.
- 她 每天 放学 *之后* 都 要 去 上 钢琴 课 。Tā
měi tiān fàngxué *zhīhòu* dōu yào qù shàng gāngqín
kè.She needs to go to piano class every
day after school.
Used as a Time Word
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
### Structure
⋯⋯ ,之前 / 之后 ⋯⋯
### Examples
- 他 在 英国 读 完 了 大学 ,*之后* 回 上海 了
。Tā zài Yīngguó dú wán le dàxué, *zhīhòu* huí
Shànghǎi le.He finished university
in England. Afterwards, he returned to Shanghai.
- 她 当 汉语 老师 四 年 多 了 ,*之前* 是 教 英语 的
。Tā dāng Hànyǔ lǎoshī sì nián duō le,
*zhīqián* shì jiāo Yīngyǔ de.She's been a
Chinese teacher for more than four years. She used to be an English
teacher.
- 老板 刚刚 回来 工作 ,*之前* 在 休假 。Lǎobǎn
gānggāng huílái gōngzuò, *zhīqián* zài
xiūjià.The boss just came back to work.
He was on vacation before.
- 我们 都 不 知道 ,他 *之前* 什么 也 没 说
。Wǒmen dōu bù zhīdào, tā *zhīqián* shénme yě
méi shuō.None of us knew. He didn't say
anything before.
- 我 现在 去 吃饭 ,*之后* 去 见 客户 。Wǒ
xiànzài qù chīfàn, *zhīhòu* qù jiàn
kèhù.I'm going to eat now. After that I
will go meet a client.
Slight Differences between 之前/之后 and 以前/以后
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One difference between the two pairs is that 之前/之后 feel more formal
simply because they contain
[之](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E4%B9%8B),
which is a word common in classical Chinese. Both words are still used
in everyday spoken Chinese, however.
In addition, while all four words can mean "before and "after"
(referring to time), 之前/之后 also sometimes mean "in front of" or
"behind" (referring to space). We haven't included examples of that
usage here, because it's less common and more formal.
See also
-------------------------------------------------------
- [Sequencing past events with
"houlai"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Sequencing_past_events_with_%22houlai%22)
- [Before a specific
time](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Before_a_specific_time)
- ["Ever since" with
"zicong"](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%22Ever_since%22_with_%22zicong%22)
Sources and further reading
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
### Books
- [Home With
Kids2 (家有儿女2)](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Home_With_Kids2_(%E5%AE%B6%E6%9C%89%E5%84%BF%E5%A5%B32)) (pp.
167)
[→buy](http://www.amazon.cn/%E5%AE%B6%E6%9C%89%E5%84%BF%E5%A5%B32-%E5%88%98%E7%AB%8B%E6%96%B0/dp/B0020MLDPM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347862251&sr=8-1)
- [Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical
Guide](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Modern_Mandarin_Chinese_Grammar:_A_Practical_Guide)
[→buy](http://amzn.to/2xCpX2m)
- [Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part
2](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Integrated_Chinese:_Level_2,_Part_2) (pp.
93-4) [→buy](http://amzn.to/2ftpILV)
[Categories](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Special:Categories):
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points](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Category:B1_grammar_points)
- [Time](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/gramwiki/?title=Category:Time&action=edit&redlink=1)
[](http://amzn.to/2iioVRP)
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