Meaning of 以前
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- before
- formerly
- previous
- ago
How to use 以前
以前 can stand alone at the start of a sentence to mean "in the past," or come after a time word or clause to mean "before" or "ago." Example: 三年以前我住在北京。(Sān nián yǐqián wǒ zhù zài Běijīng.) Three years ago I lived in Beijing.
以 (yǐ) here marks a point of reference, and 前 (qián) means front or before, the same 前 as in 前天 (qiántiān). Together 以前 means "from that point, going before," so it points back in time.
Common mistake: English speakers often put 以前 first, as in 以前三年, when it must come after the time or event: 三年以前 (three years ago), 吃饭以前 (before eating). Also keep it apart from its opposite 以后 (yǐhòu), which means after or later.
以前 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
以 yǐ · to use · 4 strokes
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前 qián · front · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 以前.
| 前天 | qiántiān | the day before yesterday |
| 前边 | qiánbian | front; the front side |
| 可以 | kěyǐ | can; may |
| 所以 | suǒyǐ | therefore; as a result |
| 以为 | yǐwéi | to think; to believe (often with the implication that the belief is mistaken – unless refe |
| 以后 | yǐhòu | after; later |
| 面前 | miànqián | in front of; facing |
| 以上 | yǐshàng | that level or higher; that amount or more; the above-mentioned |
| 以外 | yǐwài | apart from; other than |
| 以下 | yǐxià | that level or lower; that amount or less |
| 前年 | qiánnián | the year before last |
| 目前 | mùqián | at the present time; currently |
Questions about 以前
What does 以前 mean?
以前 (yǐqián) means "before; formerly" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 以前?
以前 is made of 2 characters: 以 (4 strokes), 前 (9 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 以前 an HSK word?
Yes. 以前 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 以前 and 之前 (zhīqián)?
Both mean before and often swap freely after a time or event, as in 上课以前 or 上课之前. Only 以前 is common alone at the start of a sentence to mean "in the past," as in 以前我不喜欢吃鱼. 之前 sounds a little more formal.
Can 以前 be used with 的 to describe something?
Yes. 以前的 means former or previous, as in 以前的老师 (yǐqián de lǎoshī), my former teacher. It works like an adjective in front of the noun.