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 服务员,现在 是 老板。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yǐqián</em> tā shì yī gè fúwùyuán, xiànzài shì lǎobǎn. </span> <span class="trans">Before, he was a waitor. Now, he is a boss.</span>
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* <em>以前</em> 他 是 一 个 服务员,现在 是 老板。<span class="pinyin"><em>Yǐqián</em> tā shì yī gè fúwùyuán, xiànzài shì lǎobǎn. </span> <span class="trans">Before, he was a waiter. Now, he is a boss.</span>
 
* 我 父母 <em>以前</em> 都 是 老师。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ fùmǔ <em>yǐqián</em> dōu shì lǎoshī. </span> <span class="trans">Before, both of my parents were teachers. </span>
 
* 我 父母 <em>以前</em> 都 是 老师。<span class="pinyin">Wǒ fùmǔ <em>yǐqián</em> dōu shì lǎoshī. </span> <span class="trans">Before, both of my parents were teachers. </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>

Revision as of 11:29, 1 March 2017

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.

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 服务员,现在 是 老板。Yǐqián tā shì yī gè fúwùyuán, xiànzài shì lǎobǎn. Before, he was a waiter. Now, he is a boss.
  • 我 父母 以前 都 是 老师。Wǒ fùmǔ yǐqián dōu shì lǎoshī. Before, both of my parents were teachers.
  • 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 older 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