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.

Used with Verb Phrase

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 。Qù Běijīng zhīqián, tā hé nǚpéngyou fēnshǒu le.Before he went abroad, he broke up with his girlfriend.
  • 会议 结束 之后 ,老板 就 打车 去 机场 了 。Huìyì jiéshù zhīhòu, lǎobǎn jiù dǎchē qù jīchǎng le.After the meeting was over, the boss took a taxi to the airport.

Used with as "in the Past"

Structure

Clause 1 ,之前 / 之后 ,Clause 2

Examples

  • 我 当 汉语 老师 四 年 多 了 。之前 是 教 英语 的 。Wǒ dāng Hànyǔ lǎoshī sì nián duō le. zhīqián shì jiāo Yīngyǔ de. .
  • 她 刚刚 回来 工作 ,之前 一直 在 休假 。Tā gānggāng huílái gōngzuò, zhīqián yīzhí zài xiūjià. .
  • 我们 都 不知道 ,他 之前 什么 也 没 说 。Wǒmen dōu bù zhīdào, tā zhīqián shénme yě méi shuō. .
  • 他 在 英国 读 完 了 大学 。 之后 ,他 就 回 上海 了 。Tā zài Yīngguó dú wán le dàxué. Zhīhòu, tā jiù huí Shànghǎi le.He finished college in England. Afterwards, he returned to Shanghai.
  • 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.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books