以前

yǐ qián

HSK 2.0 Level 3 HSK 3.0 Level 3 Noun Very common

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Definitions

1. before
2. formerly
3. previous
4. ago

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Word relationships

Antonyms

2 items

• 之后 zhī hòu 之后 zhī hòu after; behind ‘以前’表示时间在前，‘之后’表示时间在后。: after; behind
• 将来 jiāng lái 将来 jiāng lái in the future ‘以前’指过去，‘将来’指未来。: in the future

Register variants

1 item

• 从前 cóng qián 从前 cóng qián ‘以前’是口语和书面通用，‘从前’更常用于故事开头，带有文学色彩。: ‘以前’是口语和书面通用，‘从前’更常用于故事开头，带有文学色彩。

Synonyms

1 item

• 过去 guò qù 过去 guò qù (in the) past 指时间上更早的时候，可以互换，但‘过去’更强调已经过去的时间段。: (in the) past

Usage notes

Collocations

常与“在”连用，如“在很久以前”；也可单独使用，如“以前，我不认识他”。

Common mistakes

不要说“以前天”，正确的说法是“前一天”或“几天以前”。

Grammar

Guides that feature 以前

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1 guide

HSK 2.0 Level 2+ HSK 3.0 Level 2+ 6 min

以前 and 以后

Say before class, after work, before coming, and after eating with natural sequence words.

Reading: yǐ qián Open guide

Example Sentences

5 shown

以前 ，我不会说中文。

Before, I couldn't speak Chinese.

传说这个地方 以前 是一片海。

Legend has it that this place used to be a sea.

我 以前 從沒聽過湯姆講法語。

Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 6120945)

這張臉我 以前 見過。

Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 8706806)

我們 以前 討論過。

Source: Tatoeba.org (ID 6103185)

Sentence data courtesy of Tatoeba.org. AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 以前

• 此时以前 此时以前 cǐ shí yǐ qián: heretofore
• 开始以前 开始以前 kāi shǐ yǐ qián: before the beginning (of sth)

Child Words of 以前

• 以 以 yǐ: to use
• 前 前 qián: front