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

Structure

Event + 之前 / 之后

Examples

• 下班之前，经理给我们开了一个会议。Xiàbān zhīqián, jīnglǐ gěi wǒmen kāi le yī gè huìyì.Before I got off work, the manager assembled a meeting with us.
• 来 中国 之前 ，我 的 汉语 水平 很 低。Lái Zhōngguó zhīqián, wǒ de Hànyǔ shuǐpíng hěn dī.Before I came to China, my Chinese was bad.
• 吃 完 饭 之后 ，他们 去 了 一家 电影院。Chī wán fàn zhīhòu, tāmen qù le yī jiā diànyǐngyuàn.After they finished eating, they went to a movie theater.
• 去 北京 之后 ，他 和 他的 女朋友 分手了。Qù Běijīng zhīhòu, tā hé tā de nǚpéngyou fēnshǒu le.After he went to Beijing, he broke up with his girlfriend.

See also

• Sequencing past events with "houlai"
• Before a specific time
• "Ever since" with "zicong"

Sources and further reading

Books

• Home With Kids2 (家有儿女2) (pp. 167)
• Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2 (pp. 93-4) →buy