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 before a Specific Event ==
+
== Used as a Preposition==
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
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</div>
 
</div>
  
== Used in the Beginning ==
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== Used as a  Time Word ==
  
 
=== Structure ===
 
=== Structure ===
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
Clause 1 ,之前 / 之后 + Clause 2
+
⋯⋯ ,之前 / 之后 ⋯⋯
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
  
*他 在 英国 读 完 了 大学 ,<em>之后</em> 回 上海 了 。<span class="pinyin">Tā zài Yīngguó dú wán le dàxué, <em>zhīhòu</em> jiù huí Shànghǎi le.</span><span class="trans">He finished college in England. Afterwards, he returned to Shanghai.</span>
+
*他 在 英国 读 完 了 大学 ,<em>之后</em> 回 上海 了 。<span class="pinyin">Tā zài Yīngguó dú wán le dàxué, <em>zhīhòu</em> huí Shànghǎi le.</span><span class="trans">He finished college in England. Afterwards, he returned to Shanghai.</span>
 
*她 当 汉语 老师 四 年 多 了 ,<em>之前</em> 是 教 英语 的 。<span class="pinyin">Tā dāng Hànyǔ lǎoshī sì nián duō le, <em>zhīqián</em> shì jiāo Yīngyǔ de.</span><span class="trans">She's been a Chinese teacher for more than four years. She used to be an English teacher.</span>
 
*她 当 汉语 老师 四 年 多 了 ,<em>之前</em> 是 教 英语 的 。<span class="pinyin">Tā dāng Hànyǔ lǎoshī sì nián duō le, <em>zhīqián</em> shì jiāo Yīngyǔ de.</span><span class="trans">She's been a Chinese teacher for more than four years. She used to be an English teacher.</span>
 
*老板 刚刚 回来 工作 ,<em>之前</em> 一直 在 休假 。<span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn gānggāng huílái gōngzuò, <em>zhīqián</em> yīzhí zài xiūjià.</span><span class="trans">The boss just came back to work. He was on vocation before.</span>
 
*老板 刚刚 回来 工作 ,<em>之前</em> 一直 在 休假 。<span class="pinyin">Lǎobǎn gānggāng huílái gōngzuò, <em>zhīqián</em> yīzhí zài xiūjià.</span><span class="trans">The boss just came back to work. He was on vocation before.</span>
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</div>
 
</div>
  
== See also ==
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== See also ==
  
 
*[[Sequencing past events with "houlai"]]
 
*[[Sequencing past events with "houlai"]]
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{{Source|Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide|}}
 
{{Source|Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide|}}
 
{{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2|93-4}}
 
{{Source|Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 2|93-4}}
 
  
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:B1 grammar points]]
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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|出国 <em>之前</em> ,他 和 女朋友 分手了 。|grammar point|ASGTD3L3}}
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{{Basic Grammar|之前|B1|[Verb Phrase] + 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 02:00, 20 December 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 as a Preposition

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 a Time Word

Structure

⋯⋯ ,之前 / 之后 ⋯⋯

Examples

  • 他 在 英国 读 完 了 大学 ,之后 回 上海 了 。Tā zài Yīngguó dú wán le dàxué, zhīhòu 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


[[pattern::[Verb Phrase] + 之前 / 之后 ,⋯⋯ | ]]