How to say “before” a time in Chinese with 以前 (yǐqián)
Time / Verb + 以前 (yǐqián)
"Before" a specific time with "以前 (yǐqián)"
Time / Verb + 以前 (yǐqián)
HSK 1Nouns"Before" a specific time with "以前 (yǐqián)"
Rule structure
The word 以前 (yǐqián), meaning "before", "prior to", or "…ago", always follows a specific time or event reference. It can also be used alone to mean "in the past".
Rule structure
The word 以前 (yǐqián), meaning "before", "prior to", or "…ago", always follows a specific time or event reference. It can also be used alone to mean "in the past".
Examples
十年以前我来过这里。
Shí nián yǐqián wǒ lái guo zhèlǐ.
I came here ten years ago.
Examples
十年以前我来过这里。
Shí nián yǐqián wǒ lái guo zhèlǐ.
I came here ten years ago.
Build the sentence
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Frequently asked questions
How do you express “"Before" a specific time with "以前 (yǐqián)"” in Chinese?
Use the structure: Time / Verb + 以前 (yǐqián). For example: 十年以前我来过这里。 — “I came here ten years ago.”.
What is an example sentence with this grammar rule?
十年以前我来过这里。 — “I came here ten years ago.”.
Which HSK level includes this grammar rule?
This grammar rule is part of HSK 1.
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