How common it is
以前 appears often in everyday Chinese, so it is worth practicing early and reviewing often.
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Pronunciation focus
Say yǐqián slowly first, then repeat it in a short phrase. Listen for the tone shape.
Usage note
“以前”用来表示过去的时间，可以单独使用也可以和时间词一起用。
yǐqián lái bǎo chéng guò qù de shí jiān, kě yǐ gū dān sòng zhuó yě kě yǐ hé shí jiān cí yīqǐ yòng。
“以前” is used to indicate past time and can be used alone or with time words.
Context note
这个词语常用于讲述过去的事情，比如：以前我住在乡下。
zhège cíyǔ cháng yòng yú shùshuō guò qù de shìqìng, bǐrú: yǐqián wǒ zhùzài xiāngxià。
This word is commonly used to tell past events, for example: 以前我住在乡下.
5 examples
以前我们住在北京。
yǐ qián wǒ men zhù zài běi jīng。
We lived in Beijing before.
他以前是老师。
tā yǐ qián shì lǎo shī。
He used to be a teacher.
你以前去过哪里？
nǐ yǐ qián qù guò nǎ lǐ？
Where did you go before?
我以前喜欢画画。
wǒ yǐ qián xǐ huan huà huà。
I liked drawing before.
他们以前是好朋友。
tā men yǐ qián shì hǎo péng yǒu。
They were good friends before.
5 mini stories
妈妈说她以前住在农村，现在住城里。
mā ma shuō tā yǐ qián zhù zài nóng cūn， xiàn zài zhù chéng lǐ。
Mom said she used to live in the countryside, now she lives in the city.
爸爸说他以前是工人，现在退休了。
bà ba shuō tā yǐ qián shì gōng rén， xiàn zài tuì xiū le。
Dad said he was a worker before, and is retired now.
我们以前经常去公园玩。
wǒ men yǐ qián jīng cháng qù gōng yuán wán。
We used to often go to the park to play.
她以前学过钢琴，现在弹吉他。
tā yǐ qián xué guò gāng qín， xiàn zài tán jí tā。
She used to learn piano, now she plays guitar.
他们以前一起上学，现在各自工作了。
tā men yǐ qián yì qǐ shàng xué， xiàn zài gè zì gōng zuò le。
They went to school together before, but now they work separately.