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

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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>
 
*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>
 
*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>
 
*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>
*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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*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">What about going to the movie after we finish dinner?</span>
 
*出国 <em>之前</em> ,他 和 女朋友 分手了 。<span class="pinyin">Chūguó <em>zhīqián</em>, tā hé nǚpéngyou fēnshǒu le.</span><span class="trans">Before he went abroad, he broke up with his girlfriend.</span>
 
*出国 <em>之前</em> ,他 和 女朋友 分手了 。<span class="pinyin">Chūguó <em>zhīqián</em>, tā hé nǚpéngyou fēnshǒu le.</span><span class="trans">Before he went abroad, he broke up with his girlfriend.</span>
 
*她 每天 放学 <em>之后</em> 都 要 去 上 钢琴 课 。<span class="pinyin">Tā měi tiān fàngxué <em>zhīhòu</em> dōu yào qù shàng gāngqín kè.</span><span class="trans">She needs to go to piano class every day after school is over.</span>
 
*她 每天 放学 <em>之后</em> 都 要 去 上 钢琴 课 。<span class="pinyin">Tā měi tiān fàngxué <em>zhīhòu</em> dōu yào qù shàng gāngqín kè.</span><span class="trans">She needs to go to piano class every day after school is over.</span>

Revision as of 02:04, 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

Event + 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?What about going 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