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HSK 2.0 Niveau 2+ HSK 3.0 Niveau 2+ 6 min de lecture

以前 and 以后

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

Pattern

Time/event + 以前/以后

Put 以前 or 以后 after the time or event it refers to.

上课以前，我喝咖啡。

When to use 以前 and 以后

以前 means before a time or event; 以后 means after. In Chinese they follow the reference point: 上课以前, 吃饭以后.

下班以后，他去运动。

After work, he goes to exercise.

吃饭以后，我们看电影。

After eating, we watch a movie.

来中国以前，我学过中文。

Before coming to China, I had studied Chinese.

十点以后不要打电话。

Do not call after ten o’clock.

Common traps

  • Do not put 以前 before the event like English “before class.”
  • 以后 can mean later as well as after.
  • Keep the time frame separate from the main action.

Exercice ciblé

Entraînez-vous sur ce schéma exact avant de continuer.

上课 ，我喝咖啡

Missing grammar piece
Sens
before; previously