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

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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.
Using "before" in Chinese is very simple.  
 
  
 
== Structure ==
 
== Structure ==
  
To talk about things in the past "in general", you can use the word 以前 (yǐqián).  
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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..."
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
  
以前 + Subject + Verb + Object
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以前 + Subj. + Verb + Obj.
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
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You can also move 以前 (yǐqián) to right after the subject, and it's also correct.
  
 
<div class="jiegou">
 
<div class="jiegou">
  
Subject + 以前 + Verb + Object
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Subj. + 以前 + Verb + Obj.
  
 
</div>
 
</div>
 
You can use this structure to talk about actions that happened at some unspecified time in the past.
 
  
 
== Examples ==
 
== Examples ==
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<div class="liju">
  
* <em>以前</em>我 不 会 说中文。<span class="trans">Before, I could not speak Chinese.</span>
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* <em>以前</em> 我 不 会 说 中文 。 <span class="pinyin"><em>Yǐqián</em> wǒ bù huì shuō Zhōngwén.</span><span class="trans">Before, I could not speak Chinese.</span>
* <em>以前</em> 不 喝 啤酒。<span class="trans">I didn't drink beer before.</span>
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* <em>以前</em> 住 在 哪儿? <span class="pinyin">Nǐ <em>yǐqián</em> zhù zài nǎr?</span><span class="trans">Before, where did you live?</span>
* <em>以前</em> 我 不 喜欢 电影。<span class="trans">Before, I didn't like movies.</span>
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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> 很 喜欢 吃 面条。<span class="trans">I liked to eat noodles before.</span>
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* <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> 我 住 在 上海。<span class="trans">Before, I lived in Shanghai.</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 <em>以前</em> 去 过 纽约。<span class="trans">I went to New York before.</span>
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* 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>
* <em>以前</em> 我 是 一 个 老师。<span class="trans">Before, I was a teacher.</span>
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* 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>
*<em>以前</em> 没 在 医院 工作。<span class="trans">I didn't work at the hospital before.</span>
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* 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 older sister had a very rich boyfriend before.</span>
*<em>以前</em> 我 想 做 一 个 生意 人。<span class="trans">Before, I wanted to be a "business man".</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>
*<em>以前</em> 总是 喜欢 哭。<span class="trans">Before, I always liked to cry.</span>
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* 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 the USA. Now, he works in China.</span>
  
 
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=== Books ===
 
=== Books ===
  
* [[Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 2 (博雅汉语初经起步篇)]] (pp. 11) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7301078617/ref%3das_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=7301078617 →buy]
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{{Source|Boya Chinese Elementary Starter 2 (博雅汉语初经起步篇)|11}}
* [[Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide]] (pp. 268) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415700108?ie=UTF8&tag=allset-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0415700108 →buy]
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{{Source|Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide|268}}
  
 
[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
 
[[Category:A2 grammar points]]
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{{Used for|Sequencing events in time}}
 
{{Used for|Sequencing events in time}}
 
{{Used for|Referring to the past}}
 
{{Used for|Referring to the past}}
{{Basic Grammar|以前|A2|以前,……|<em>以前</em>,我 不 会 中文。|grammar point|ASGVCWLU}}
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{{Basic Grammar|以前|A2|以前,⋯⋯ |<em>以前</em>,我 不 会 中文。|grammar point|ASGVCWLU}}
 
{{Similar|In the future in general}}  
 
{{Similar|In the future in general}}  
 
{{Similar|Before a specific time}}  
 
{{Similar|Before a specific time}}  

Latest revision as of 04:14, 19 October 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 the USA. Now, he works in China.

See also

Sources and further reading

Books

HSK3