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'''.
  
== Used as "before" ==
+
== Used before a Specific Event ==
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===

Revision as of 03:18, 25 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 before a Specific Event

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 。Chūguó zhīqián, tā hé nǚpéngyou fēnshǒu le.Before he went abroad, he broke up with his girlfriend.
  • 她 每天 放学 之后 都 要 去 上 钢琴 课 。Tā měi tiān fàngxué zhīhòu dōu yào qù shàng gāngqín kè.She needs to go to piano class every day after school is over.

Used as "before" in general

Structure

Clause 1 ,之前 / 之后 + Clause 2

Examples

  • 他 在 英国 读 完 了 大学 ,之后 就 回 上海 了 。Tā zài Yīngguó dú wán le dàxué, zhīhòu jiù huí Shànghǎi le.He finished college in England. Afterwards, he returned to Shanghai.
  • 她 当 汉语 老师 四 年 多 了 ,之前 是 教 英语 的 。Tā dāng Hànyǔ lǎoshī sì nián duō le, zhīqián shì jiāo Yīngyǔ de.She's been a Chinese teacher for more than four years. She used to be an English teacher.
  • 老板 刚刚 回来 工作 ,之前 一直 在 休假 。Lǎobǎn gānggāng huílái gōngzuò, zhīqián yīzhí zài xiūjià.The boss just came back to work. He was on vocation before.
  • 我们 都 不知道 ,他 之前 什么 也 没 说 。Wǒmen dōu bù zhīdào, tā zhīqián shénme yě méi shuō.None of us knows. He didn't say anything before.
  • 我 明早 要 见 客户 ,之后 要 去 机场 接 一 个 朋友 。Wǒ míngzǎo yào jiàn kèhù, zhīhòu yào qù jīchǎng jiē yī gè péngyou.I need to meet the client tomorrow morning. After that I need to go to the airport to pick up a friend.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books