Difference between revisions of "Expressing "before" and "after" with "zhiqian" and "zhihou""

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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 are prepositions. Don't forget that these two are talking about before and after in terms of '''time'''.
 
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 are prepositions. Don't forget that these two are talking about before and after in terms of '''time'''.
  
== Structure ==
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== Used with Verb Phrase ==
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 +
=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
 +
[Verb Phrase] + 之前 / 之后 ,⋯⋯
 +
</div>
 +
 +
=== Examples ===
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<div class="liju">
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 +
*来 中国 <em>之前</em> ,我 的 汉语 很 一般 。<span class="pinyin">Lái Zhōngguó <em>zhīqián</em>, wǒ de Hànyǔ yībān.</span><span class="trans">Before I came to China, my Chinese was so so.</span>
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*下班 <em>之后</em> 给 我  打 个 电话 。<span class="pinyin">Xiàbān <em>zhīhòu</em>, gěi wǒ dǎ gè diànhuà.</span><span class="trans">Give me a call after you get off work.</span>
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*吃 完 饭 <em>之后</em> 去 看 电影 吧 。<span class="pinyin">Chī wán fàn <em>zhīhòu</em>, qù  diànyǐng ba.</span><span class="trans">Let's go to the movie after we finish dinner.</span>
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*出国 <em>之前</em> ,他 和 女朋友 分手了 。<span class="pinyin">Qù Běijīng <em>zhīqián</em>, tā hé nǚpéngyou fēnshǒu le.</span><span class="trans">Before he went abroad, he broke up with his girlfriend.</span>
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*会议 结束 <em>之后</em> ,老板 就 打车 去 机场 了 。<span class="pinyin">Huìyì jiéshù <em>zhīhòu</em>, lǎobǎn jiù dǎchē qù jīchǎng le.</span><span class="trans">After the meeting was over, the boss took a taxi to the airport. </span>
  
Event + 之前 / 之后
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</div>
  
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== Used with ==
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 +
=== Structure ===
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 +
<div class="jiegou">
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Clause 1 ,之前 / 之后 ,Clause 2
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
== Examples ==
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=== Examples ===
  
 
<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*下班<em>之前</em>,经理给我们开了一个会议。<span class="pinyin">Xiàbān <em>zhīqián</em>, jīnglǐ gěi wǒmen kāi le yī gè huìyì.</span><span class="trans">Before I got off work, the manager assembled a meeting with us.</span>
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* <em>之前</em> , 。<span class="pinyin"> <em>zhīqián</em>, .</span><span class="trans"> .</span>
*来 中国 <em>之前</em> ,我 的 汉语 水平 很 低。<span class="pinyin">Lái Zhōngguó <em>zhīqián</em>, wǒ de Hànyǔ shuǐpíng hěn dī.</span><span class="trans">Before I came to China, my Chinese was bad.</span>
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* <em>之前</em> , 。<span class="pinyin"> <em>zhīqián</em>, .</span><span class="trans"> .</span>
*吃 完 饭 <em>之后</em> ,他们 去 了 一家 电影院。<span class="pinyin">Chī wán fàn <em>zhīhòu</em>, tāmen qù le yī jiā diànyǐngyuàn.</span><span class="trans">After they finished eating, they went to a movie theater.</span>
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* <em>之前</em> , 。<span class="pinyin"> <em>zhīqián</em>, .</span><span class="trans"> .</span>
*去 北京 <em>之后</em> ,他 和 他的 女朋友 分手了。<span class="pinyin">Qù Běijīng <em>zhīhòu</em>, tā hé tā de nǚpéngyou fēnshǒu le.</span><span class="trans">After he went to Beijing, he broke up with his girlfriend.</span>
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*他 在 英国 读 完 了 大学 。<em>之后</em> ,他 就 回 上海 了 。<span class="trans">He finished college in England. Afterwards, he returned to Shanghai.</span>
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*她 每天 放学 <em>之后</em> 都 要 去 上 钢琴 课 。</span><span class="trans">She needs to go to piano class every day after school is over.</span>
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
==See  also==
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== See  also ==
  
 
*[[Sequencing past events with "houlai"]]
 
*[[Sequencing past events with "houlai"]]
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{{Similar|Comparing "yihou" and "zhihou"}}
 
{{Similar|Comparing "yihou" and "zhihou"}}
 
{{Similar|In the future in general}}
 
{{Similar|In the future in general}}
{{Basic Grammar|之前|B1|之前 / 之后|毕业<em>之后</em>,我 找 不 到 工作。|grammar point|ASGTD3L3}}
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{{Basic Grammar|之前|B1|之前 / 之后|出国 <em>之前</em> ,他 和 女朋友 分手了 。|grammar point|ASGTD3L3}}
 
{{Rel char|之后}}
 
{{Rel char|之后}}
 
{{Rel char|前}}
 
{{Rel char|前}}

Revision as of 02:46, 13 October 2017

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 are prepositions. Don't forget that these two are talking about before and after in terms of time.

Used with Verb Phrase

Structure

[Verb Phrase] + 之前 / 之后 ,⋯⋯

Examples

  • 来 中国 之前 ,我 的 汉语 很 一般 。Lái Zhōngguó zhīqián, wǒ de Hànyǔ yībān.Before I came to China, my Chinese was so so.
  • 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 diànyǐng ba.Let's go to the movie after we finish dinner.
  • 出国 之前 ,他 和 女朋友 分手了 。Qù Běijīng zhīqián, tā hé nǚpéngyou fēnshǒu le.Before he went abroad, he broke up with his girlfriend.
  • 会议 结束 之后 ,老板 就 打车 去 机场 了 。Huìyì jiéshù zhīhòu, lǎobǎn jiù dǎchē qù jīchǎng le.After the meeting was over, the boss took a taxi to the airport.

Used with

Structure

Clause 1 ,之前 / 之后 ,Clause 2

Examples

  • 之前 , 。 zhīqián, . .
  • 之前 , 。 zhīqián, . .
  • 之前 , 。 zhīqián, . .
  • 他 在 英国 读 完 了 大学 。之后 ,他 就 回 上海 了 。He finished college in England. Afterwards, he returned to Shanghai.
  • 她 每天 放学 之后 都 要 去 上 钢琴 课 。She needs to go to piano class every day after school is over.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books