Expressing "before" and "after" with "zhiqian" and "zhihou"

Before and after can be expressed using 之前 (zhīqián) and 之后 (zhīhòu). They are in relatively the same vein as 以前/以后, except that these two are adverbs, while 之前/之后 is a preposition. Don't forget that these two are talking about before and after in terms of time.

Here's the basic structure:

Event + 之前/之后

Here are some examples of these two prepositions:

• 来 中国 之前 ，我 的 汉语 水平 很 差。
• 吃 完 饭 之后 ，他们 去 了 一家 电影院。
• 去 北京 之后 ，他 开始 崇拜 毛泽东 了。