Meaning of 此前
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- before this
- before then
- previously
How to use 此前
此前 is a formal word common in news, reports, and written Chinese. It refers to the time before a specific event that was just mentioned. Example: 此前他从未出过国。(Cǐqián tā cóng wèi chūguo guó.) Before this, he had never been abroad.
此 (cǐ) means "this" in formal Chinese, and 前 (qián) means "before." Put them together and you get "before this," pointing back to the time before a certain moment.
Common mistake: Learners often use 此前 in casual speech where 以前 (yǐqián) sounds more natural. In everyday talk, say 以前我住在北京 rather than 此前我住在北京.
此前 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.
此 cǐ · this · 6 strokes
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前 qián · front · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 此前.
| 前天 | qiántiān | the day before yesterday |
| 前边 | qiánbian | front; the front side |
| 以前 | yǐqián | before; formerly |
| 面前 | miànqián | in front of; facing |
| 前年 | qiánnián | the year before last |
| 因此 | yīncǐ | thus; consequently; as a result |
| 目前 | mùqián | at the present time; currently |
| 前面 | qiánmiàn | ahead; in front |
| 前进 | qiánjìn | to go forward; to forge ahead |
| 前往 | qiánwǎng | to leave for; to proceed towards; to go to |
| 眼前 | yǎnqián | before one's eyes; now |
| 提前 | tíqián | to shift to an earlier date; to do sth ahead of time |
Questions about 此前
What does 此前 mean?
此前 (cǐqián) means "before this; before then" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 此前?
此前 is made of 2 characters: 此 (6 strokes), 前 (9 strokes). That is 15 strokes in total.
Is 此前 an HSK word?
Yes. 此前 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 此前 and 以前?
以前 can mean "in the past" in general and is used in both speech and writing. 此前 is more formal and usually means "before this particular event or point," so it needs a clear reference point in the context.
Is there a word that means "after this" to pair with 此前?
Yes. 此后 (cǐhòu) means "after this" or "from then on." It is equally formal, for example 此后他们再也没见过面 (After that, they never met again).