Difference between revisions of "Before a specific time with "yiqian""

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* <strong>吃饭</strong> <em>以前</em> ,你 洗手 了 吗?<span class="pinyin"><strong>Chī fàn</strong> <em>yǐqián</em>, nǐ xǐ shǒu le ma?</span> <span class="trans">Did you wash your hands before eating? </span>
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*<strong>吃饭</strong> <em>以前</em> ,你 洗手 了 吗?<span class="pinyin"><strong>Chī fàn</strong> <em>yǐqián</em>, nǐ xǐ shǒu le ma?</span> <span class="trans">Did you wash your hands before eating? </span>
* <strong>睡觉</strong> <em>以前</em> ,不要 吃 东西。 <span class="pinyin"><strong>Shuìjiào</strong> <em>yǐqián</em>, bù yào chī dōngxi. </span> <span class="trans">Don't eat anything before you go to sleep. </span>
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*<strong>睡觉</strong> <em>以前</em> ,不要 吃 东西。<span class="pinyin"><strong>Shuìjiào</strong> <em>yǐqián</em>, bùyào chī dōngxi. </span> <span class="trans">Don't eat anything before you go to sleep.</span>
* <strong>两年</strong> <em>以前</em> , 你 认识 他 吗? <span class="pinyin"><strong>Liǎngnián </strong> <em>yǐqián</em>,  nǐ rènshi tā ma? </span> <span class="trans">Did you know him two years ago? </span>
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*<strong>两 年</strong> <em>以前</em> , 你 认识 他 吗? <span class="pinyin"><strong>Liǎng nián </strong> <em>yǐqián</em>,  nǐ rènshi tā ma? </span> <span class="trans">Did you know him two years ago?</span>
* <strong>星期五</strong> <em>以前</em> , 你 要 做 完 这 些 工作。<span class="pinyin"><strong>Xīngqīwǔ</strong> <em>yǐqián</em>, nǐ yào zuò wán zhèxiē gōngzuò. </span> <span class="trans">You need to finish this work before Friday. </span>
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*<strong>星期五</strong> <em>以前</em> ,你 要 做 完 这 些 工作。<span class="pinyin"><strong>Xīngqīwǔ</strong> <em>yǐqián</em>, nǐ yào zuò wán zhèxiē gōngzuò.</span> <span class="trans">You need to finish this work before Friday.</span>
* <strong>上 大学</strong> <em>以前</em>,你 来 过 上海 吗?<span class="pinyin"><strong>Shàng dàxué </strong> <em>yǐqián</em>, nǐ lái guo shànghǎi ma? </span> <span class="trans"> Before you went to college, did you ever come to Shanghai? </span>
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*<strong>上 大学</strong> <em>以前</em>,你 来 过 上海 吗?<span class="pinyin"><strong>Shàng dàxué </strong> <em>yǐqián</em>, nǐ lái guo shànghǎi ma?</span> <span class="trans"> Before you went to college, did you ever come to Shanghai?</span>
* <strong>结婚</strong> <em>以前</em> ,你 应该 先 买 房子。<span class="pinyin"><strong>Jiéhūn</strong> <em>yǐqián</em>, nǐ yīnggāi xiān mǎi fángzi. </span> <span class="trans">Before getting married, you should first buy a house. </span>
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*<strong>结婚</strong> <em>以前</em> ,你 应该 先 买 房子。<span class="pinyin"><strong>Jiéhūn</strong> <em>yǐqián</em>, nǐ yīnggāi xiān mǎi fángzi.</span> <span class="trans">Before getting married, you should first buy a house.</span>
* <strong>二十年</strong> <em>以前</em>,这里 是 一 个 小 村子。 <span class="pinyin"><strong>Èrshí nián</strong> <em>yǐqián</em>,  zhèlǐ shì yī gè xiǎo cūnzi. </span> <span class="trans">Twenty years ago, this was a small village. </span>
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*<strong>二十 年</strong> <em>以前</em>,这里 是 一 个。<span class="pinyin"><strong>Èrshí nián</strong> <em>yǐqián</em>,  zhèlǐ shì yī gè gōngyuán.</span> <span class="trans">Twenty years ago, this was a park.</span>
* <strong>几个月</strong> <em>以前</em> ,他们 分手 了。<span class="pinyin"><strong>Jǐ gè yuè </strong> <em>yǐqián</em>,  tāmen fēnshǒu le. </span> <span class="trans">They broke up a few months ago. </span>
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*<strong>几个月</strong> <em>以前</em> ,他们 分手 了。<span class="pinyin"><strong>Jǐ gè yuè </strong> <em>yǐqián</em>,  tāmen fēnshǒu le.</span> <span class="trans">They broke up a few months ago.</span>
* <strong>毕业</strong> <em>以前</em>,我 要 找到 工作。<span class="pinyin"><strong>Bìyè</strong> <em>yǐqián</em>,  wǒ yào zhǎodào gōngzuò. </span> <span class="trans">I need to find a job before graduation.</span>
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*<strong>毕业</strong> <em>以前</em>,我 要 找到 工作。<span class="pinyin"><strong>Bìyè</strong> <em>yǐqián</em>,  wǒ yào zhǎodào gōngzuò.</span> <span class="trans">I need to find a job before graduation.</span>
* <strong>当 总统</strong> <em>以前</em>,Obama 没有 白头发。<span class="pinyin"><strong>Dāng zǒngtǒng</strong> <em>yǐqián</em>, Obama méiyǒu bái tóufa. </span> <span class="trans">Before he became the president, Obama didn't have white hair . </span>
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*<strong>当 总统</strong> <em>以前</em>,Obama 没有 白 头发。<span class="pinyin"><strong>Dāng zǒngtǒng</strong> <em>yǐqián</em>, Obama méiyǒu bái tóufa.</span> <span class="trans">Before he became the president, Obama didn't have white hair.</span>
  
 
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Revision as of 10:18, 6 January 2017

As well as talking about the past in general, you can use 以前 (yǐqián) to talk about things that happened before a specific time.

Structure

Time / Verb + 以前, Subj. + Verb + Obj.

The time can be a specific time, or an action (technically, "when the action was done").

Examples

  • 吃饭 以前 ,你 洗手 了 吗?Chī fàn yǐqián, nǐ xǐ shǒu le ma? Did you wash your hands before eating?
  • 睡觉 以前 ,不要 吃 东西。Shuìjiào yǐqián, bùyào chī dōngxi. Don't eat anything before you go to sleep.
  • 两 年 以前 , 你 认识 他 吗? Liǎng nián yǐqián, nǐ rènshi tā ma? Did you know him two years ago?
  • 星期五 以前 ,你 要 做 完 这 些 工作。Xīngqīwǔ yǐqián, nǐ yào zuò wán zhèxiē gōngzuò. You need to finish this work before Friday.
  • 上 大学 以前,你 来 过 上海 吗?Shàng dàxué yǐqián, nǐ lái guo shànghǎi ma? Before you went to college, did you ever come to Shanghai?
  • 结婚 以前 ,你 应该 先 买 房子。Jiéhūn yǐqián, nǐ yīnggāi xiān mǎi fángzi. Before getting married, you should first buy a house.
  • 二十 年 以前,这里 是 一 个。Èrshí nián yǐqián, zhèlǐ shì yī gè gōngyuán. Twenty years ago, this was a park.
  • 几个月 以前 ,他们 分手 了。Jǐ gè yuè yǐqián, tāmen fēnshǒu le. They broke up a few months ago.
  • 毕业 以前,我 要 找到 工作。Bìyè yǐqián, wǒ yào zhǎodào gōngzuò. I need to find a job before graduation.
  • 当 总统 以前,Obama 没有 白 头发。Dāng zǒngtǒng yǐqián, Obama méiyǒu bái tóufa. Before he became the president, Obama didn't have white hair.

Note that this use of 以前 (yǐqián) can also be shortened to 前 (qián).

See also

Sources and further reading