以前 (before)

• 拼音: yǐqián
• 结构: Time / Verb Phrase + 以前，Clause
• 汉字拆解: 以 = 人 (person, variant) + 丨; 前 = 八 (divide) + 刂(knife) + 月 (moon/flesh)

含义

The word 以前 (yǐqián) means 'before' and is placed after a time expression or verb phrase to indicate that something happened before that point in time.

以前 functions as a time marker that anchors an event before a reference point. When placed after a specific time ('三点以前' — before three o'clock), it sets a deadline. When placed after a verb phrase ('来中国以前' — before coming to China), it establishes temporal sequence. Used alone, 以前 means 'in the past' or 'formerly.' Note the word order difference from English: Chinese puts 以前 after the time reference, not before. Its counterpart 以后 (yǐhòu) means 'after' and follows the same structural pattern.

例句

1. 吃饭以前要先洗手。
2. 三年以前，我还住在老家。
3. 出门以前，记得带上钥匙。

用法指南

语境: spoken, written, everyday

语气: descriptive

正确说法

• 睡觉以前，我通常看半个小时的书。
• 十年以前，这里还是一片农田。
• 上课以前，同学们在走廊里聊天。

错误说法

• 以前吃饭要洗手。(When using 以前 with a verb phrase, the verb phrase must come before 以前, not after — word order is reversed compared to English) → 吃饭以前要洗手。
• 我以前三年住在上海。(When specifying a time duration, place the duration before 以前 — say 三年以前, not 以前三年) → 三年以前我住在上海。

起源与历史

以 means 'by means of' and 前 means 'front/before.' Together they literally mean 'taking (this point) as the front,' i.e., everything that comes before this reference point in time.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal