Chinese Grammar Bank
HOW TO USE 以前 AND 以后
In daily life, you might want to talk about the past or the future.
This may be an unspecified time or a specified time.
In this case, you can use 以前 (yǐqián) which means “before”, “previously” or “ago”; and 以后 (yǐhòu) which means “after”, “later” or “in future”.
以前 WITH UNSPECIFIED TIME
With an unspecified time of the past, 以前 (yǐqián) is placed before or after the subject to mean “before” or “previously” or “in the past”.
STRUCTURE #1
以前 + Subject + Verb + Object
STRUCTURE #2
Subject + 以前 + Verb + Object
以前 WITH SPECIFIED TIME
With specific points of time in the past, 以前 (yǐqián) comes after the action or event being talked about.
It simply shows that before an action or event, something occurs. It works the same way with a specific amount of time.
STRUCTURE #1
Action/Event + 以前, something occurs
STRUCTURE #2
Specific time + 以前, something occurs
以后 WITH UNSPECIFIED TIME
以后 (yǐhòu) functions the same way 以前 (yǐqián) does with unspecified time.
以后 (yǐhòu) is placed before or after the subject to mean “after” or “later” or “in future”.
In these sentences, the word “later” doesn’t necessarily refer to the immediate future since the time is abstract, so it can refer to two hours from now, tomorrow or even three weeks from the time of making the statement.
STRUCTURE #1
以后 + Subject + Verb + Object
STRUCTURE #2
Subject + 以后 + Verb + Object
以后 WITH SPECIFIED TIME
When talking about specific points of time in the future, 以后 (yǐhòu) comes after the action or event being talked about.
It indicates that after an action or event, something will occurred. It works the same way with a specific amount of time.
STRUCTURE #1
Action/Event + 以后 + Verb + Object
STRUCTURE #2
Specific time + 以后, something occurs
Learn Mandarin with Flexi Classes
Book online classes with the best teachers in the industry.
FAQs
How do you say “long time ago” in Chinese?
Long time ago in Chinese is 很久很久以前 (hěnjiǔ hěnjiǔ yǐqián)
很久 (hěnjiǔ) : Long time
以前 (yǐqián) : Ago
You can dupliacte 很久 (hěnjiǔ) for emphasis.
What are some sentences with 以前?
– 她以前很喜欢你。tā yǐqián hěn xǐhuān nǐ. She used to like you a lot before.
– 我一个月以前回来了。wǒ yīgè yuè yǐqián huí lái le. I came back a month ago.
– 吃饭以前，你应该洗手。chīfàn yǐqián, nǐ yīnggāi xǐshǒu You should wash your hands before eating.
Some examples of 以后 in a sentence?
– 吃饭以后，你应该洗手。chīfàn yǐhòu, nǐ yīnggāi xǐshǒu. You should wash your hands after eating.
– 你以后想做什么工作。nǐ yǐhòu xiǎng zuò shénme gōngzuò. What job do you want to do in future?
Where can I get a teacher for Chinese?
How can I improve my listening skills?
Podcasts can be a great way to work on your Chinese while you’re busy working on something else. Whether you’re commuting, doing the dishes, or walking the dog, these Chinese podcasts can help you take your Chinese to the next level without much effort!
How can improve my reading in Chinese?
If you have learnt at least 100 characters, then you can start reading in Chinese!
Yes, even without an extensive vocabulary under your belt, you can start reading Chinese to improve your skills. Graded readers are novels written specifically for language learners of all different levels.
Here are our recommendations of the best graded readers for Chinese.