Difference between revisions of "Expressing "before" in general with "yiqian""
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{{Grammar Box}}  
 
{{Grammar Box}}  
  
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Using "before" in Chinese is very simple.  
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Using "before" in Chinese is very simple. To talk about things in the past "in general", you can use the word 以前 (yǐqián). You can use this structure to talk about actions that happened at some unspecified time in the past.
  
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== Structure ==
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== 以前 before Subject ==
  
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To talk about things in the past "in general", you can use the word 以前 (yǐqián).
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=== Structure ===
 +
 
 +
在汉语语序中，跟时间有关的词一般都置于句子的前面，所以如果你总是记不住应该放在哪里，那么句子开头是最方便的方法。
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
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</div>
 
</div>
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=== Examples ===
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<div class="liju">
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* <em>以前</em> 我 不 会 说 中文。<span class="trans">Before, I could not speak Chinese.</span>
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* <em>以前</em> 我 住 在 上海。<span class="trans">Before, I lived in Shanghai.</span>
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* <em>以前</em> 我 是 一 个 老师。<span class="trans">Before, I was a teacher.</span>
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* <em>以前</em> 我 不 喜欢 他。<span class="trans">Before, I didn't like him.</span>
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* <em>以前</em> 我 不 喜欢 电影。<span class="trans">Before, I didn't like movies.</span>
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* <em>以前</em> 我 没有 钱。
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* <em>以前</em> 我 很 快乐。
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* <em>以前</em> 我们 经常 聊天。
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* <em>以前</em> 她 很 喜欢 笑。
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* <em>以前</em> 我 很 爱 学习。
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</div>
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==  以前 after Subject ==
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上面的结构中，“以前”都可以放在主语之后、动词之前，这也是很自然的一种语序。对整个句子的意思没有影响。
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 +
=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
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</div>
 
</div>
  
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You can use this structure to talk about actions that happened at some unspecified time in the past.
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=== Examples ===
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== Examples ==
 
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
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* <em>以前</em>我 不 会 说 中文。<span class="trans">Before, I could not speak Chinese.</span>
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* 我 <em>以前</em> 不 会 说 中文。<span class="trans">Before, I could not speak Chinese.</span>
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* 我 <em>以前</em> 不 喝 啤酒。<span class="trans">I didn't drink beer before.</span>
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* 我 <em>以前</em> 住 在 上海。<span class="trans">Before, I lived in Shanghai.</span>
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* <em>以前</em> 我 不 喜欢 电影。<span class="trans">Before, I didn't like movies.</span>
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* 我 <em>以前</em> 是 一 个 老师。<span class="trans">Before, I was a teacher.</span>
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*我 <em>以前</em> 很 喜欢 吃 面条。<span class="trans">I liked to eat noodles before.</span>
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* 我 <em>以前</em>不 喜欢 他。<span class="trans">Before, I didn't like him.</span>
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*<em>以前</em> 我 住 在 上海。<span class="trans">Before, I lived in Shanghai.</span>
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* 我 <em>以前</em> 不 喜欢 电影。<span class="trans">Before, I didn't like movies.</span>
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*我 <em>以前</em> 去 过 纽约。<span class="trans">I went to New York before.</span>
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* 我 <em>以前</em> 没有 钱。
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* <em>以前</em> 我 是 一 个 老师。<span class="trans">Before, I was a teacher.</span>
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* 我 <em>以前</em> 很 快乐。
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*我 <em>以前</em> 在 医院 工作。<span class="trans">I worked at the hospital before.</span>
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* 我们 <em>以前</em> 经常 聊天。
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*<em>以前</em> 我 不 喜欢 他。<span class="trans">Before, I didn't like him.</span>
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* 她 <em>以前</em> 很 喜欢 笑。
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*我 <em>以前</em> 总是 喜欢 哭。<span class="trans">Before, I always liked to cry.</span>
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* 我 <em>以前</em> 很 爱 学习。
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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==See also==
 
==See also==
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{{Used for|Sequencing events in time}}
 
{{Used for|Sequencing events in time}}
 
{{Used for|Referring to the past}}
 
{{Used for|Referring to the past}}
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{{Basic Grammar|以前|A2|以前，……|<em>以前</em>，我 不 会 说 中文。|grammar point|ASGVCWLU}}
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{{Basic Grammar|以前|A2|以前 + Subject + Verb + Object|<em>以前</em>，我 不 会 说 中文。|grammar point|ASGVCWLU}}
 
{{Similar|In the future in general}}  
 
{{Similar|In the future in general}}  
 
{{Similar|Before a specific time}}  
 
{{Similar|Before a specific time}}  

Revision as of 06:00, 20 February 2014

Using "before" in Chinese is very simple. To talk about things in the past "in general", you can use the word 以前 (yǐqián). You can use this structure to talk about actions that happened at some unspecified time in the past.

以前 before Subject

Structure

在汉语语序中，跟时间有关的词一般都置于句子的前面，所以如果你总是记不住应该放在哪里，那么句子开头是最方便的方法。

以前 + Subject + Verb + Object

Examples

  • 以前 我 不 会 说 中文。Before, I could not speak Chinese.
  • 以前 我 住 在 上海。Before, I lived in Shanghai.
  • 以前 我 是 一 个 老师。Before, I was a teacher.
  • 以前 我 不 喜欢 他。Before, I didn't like him.
  • 以前 我 不 喜欢 电影。Before, I didn't like movies.
  • 以前 我 没有 钱。
  • 以前 我 很 快乐。
  • 以前 我们 经常 聊天。
  • 以前 她 很 喜欢 笑。
  • 以前 我 很 爱 学习。

以前 after Subject

上面的结构中，“以前”都可以放在主语之后、动词之前，这也是很自然的一种语序。对整个句子的意思没有影响。

Structure

Subject + 以前 + Verb + Object

Examples

  • 我 以前 不 会 说 中文。Before, I could not speak Chinese.
  • 我 以前 住 在 上海。Before, I lived in Shanghai.
  • 我 以前 是 一 个 老师。Before, I was a teacher.
  • 我 以前不 喜欢 他。Before, I didn't like him.
  • 我 以前 不 喜欢 电影。Before, I didn't like movies.
  • 我 以前 没有 钱。
  • 我 以前 很 快乐。
  • 我们 以前 经常 聊天。
  • 她 以前 很 喜欢 笑。
  • 我 以前 很 爱 学习。


See also

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK3
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