Difference between revisions of "Expressing "before" in general with "yiqian""

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* <em>以前</em> 我 不 认识 他。 <span class="pinyin"><em>Yǐqián</em> wǒ bù rènshi tā.</span> <span class="trans">Before, I didn't know him.</span>
 
* <em>以前</em> 我 不 认识 他。 <span class="pinyin"><em>Yǐqián</em> wǒ bù rènshi tā.</span> <span class="trans">Before, I didn't know him.</span>
 
* <em>以前</em>,他 是 我们 的 客户 吗? <span class="pinyin"><em>Yǐqián</em> tā shì wǒmen de kèhù ma? </span> <span class="trans">Was he our client before? </span>
 
* <em>以前</em>,他 是 我们 的 客户 吗? <span class="pinyin"><em>Yǐqián</em> tā shì wǒmen de kèhù ma? </span> <span class="trans">Was he our client before? </span>
* <em>以前</em> 他 是 一 个 老师,现在 是 老板。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yǐqián</em> tā shì yī gè lǎoshī, xiànzài shì lǎobǎn. </span> <span class="trans">Before, he was a teacher. Now he is a boss.</span>
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* <em>以前</em> 他 是 一 个 老师,现在 是 老板。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yǐqián</em> tā shì yī gè lǎoshī, xiànzài shì lǎobǎn. </span> <span class="trans">Before, he was a teacher. Now, he is a boss.</span>
* 我父母 <em>以前</em>  常常 跟 我 聊天。<span class="pinyin">Wǒfùmǔ <em>yǐqián</em> chángcháng gēn wǒ liáotiān. </span> <span class="trans">Before, my parents often talked to me. </span>
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* 我 父母 <em>以前</em>  常常 跟 我 聊天。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ fùmǔ <em>yǐqián</em> chángcháng gēn wǒ liáotiān. </span> <span class="trans">Before, my parents often talked to me. </span>
 
* 爸爸 <em>以前</em> 很 喜欢 抽烟。<span class="pinyin">Bàba <em>yǐqián</em> hěn xǐhuan chōuyān. </span> <span class="trans">Before, dad really liked smoking. </span>
 
* 爸爸 <em>以前</em> 很 喜欢 抽烟。<span class="pinyin">Bàba <em>yǐqián</em> hěn xǐhuan chōuyān. </span> <span class="trans">Before, dad really liked smoking. </span>
 
* 姐姐 <em>以前</em> 有 一 个 很有钱 的 男朋友。<span class="pinyin">Jiějie <em>yǐqián</em> yǒu yī gè hěn yǒuqián de nánpéngyou. </span> <span class="trans">My elder sister had a very rich boyfriend before. </span>
 
* 姐姐 <em>以前</em> 有 一 个 很有钱 的 男朋友。<span class="pinyin">Jiějie <em>yǐqián</em> yǒu yī gè hěn yǒuqián de nánpéngyou. </span> <span class="trans">My elder sister had a very rich boyfriend before. </span>
* 他们 <em>以前</em> 没有 钱,可是 很 快乐。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen <em>yǐqián</em> méiyǒu qián, kěshì hěn kuàilè.</span> <span class="trans">Before, they didn't have much money but they were happy. </span>
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* 他们 <em>以前</em> 没有 钱,可是 很 快乐。<span class="pinyin">Tāmen <em>yǐqián</em> méiyǒu qián, kěshì hěn kuàilè.</span> <span class="trans">They didn't have much money before, but they were happy. </span>
 
* 我男朋友 <em>以前</em>  在 美国 工作,现在 在 中国 工作。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ nánpéngyou <em>yǐqián</em> zài Měiguó gōngzuò, xiànzài zài Zhōngguó gōngzuò. </span> <span class="trans">Before, my boyfriend worked in America. Now, he works in China. </span>
 
* 我男朋友 <em>以前</em>  在 美国 工作,现在 在 中国 工作。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ nánpéngyou <em>yǐqián</em> zài Měiguó gōngzuò, xiànzài zài Zhōngguó gōngzuò. </span> <span class="trans">Before, my boyfriend worked in America. Now, he works in China. </span>
  

Revision as of 09:27, 4 February 2016

To talk about things that previously occurred, you can use the word 以前 (yǐqián). You can use this structure to talk about actions that happened at some unspecified time in the past. To make 以前 (yǐqián) easier to understand, it can be used similarly to the English word, "before."

Structure

One way to use 以前 (yǐqián) is to start the sentence with it. This is like starting off a sentence in English with "before..." or "in the past...."

以前, Subj. + Verb + Obj.

You can also move 以前 (yǐqián) to right after the subject, and it's also correct.

Subj. + 以前 + Verb + Obj.

Examples

  • 以前 我 不 会 说 中文 。 Yǐqián wǒ bù huì shuō Zhōngwén. Before, I could not speak Chinese.
  • 以前 住 在 哪儿? yǐqián zhù zài nǎr? Before, where did you live?
  • 以前 我 不 认识 他。 Yǐqián wǒ bù rènshi tā. Before, I didn't know him.
  • 以前,他 是 我们 的 客户 吗? Yǐqián tā shì wǒmen de kèhù ma? Was he our client before?
  • 以前 他 是 一 个 老师,现在 是 老板。Yǐqián tā shì yī gè lǎoshī, xiànzài shì lǎobǎn. Before, he was a teacher. Now, he is a boss.
  • 我 父母 以前 常常 跟 我 聊天。Wǒ fùmǔ yǐqián chángcháng gēn wǒ liáotiān. Before, my parents often talked to me.
  • 爸爸 以前 很 喜欢 抽烟。Bàba yǐqián hěn xǐhuan chōuyān. Before, dad really liked smoking.
  • 姐姐 以前 有 一 个 很有钱 的 男朋友。Jiějie yǐqián yǒu yī gè hěn yǒuqián de nánpéngyou. My elder sister had a very rich boyfriend before.
  • 他们 以前 没有 钱,可是 很 快乐。Tāmen yǐqián méiyǒu qián, kěshì hěn kuàilè. They didn't have much money before, but they were happy.
  • 我男朋友 以前 在 美国 工作,现在 在 中国 工作。Wǒ nánpéngyou yǐqián zài Měiguó gōngzuò, xiànzài zài Zhōngguó gōngzuò. Before, my boyfriend worked in America. Now, he works in China.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK3