以前 (yǐqián) / 以后 (yǐhòu) / 的时候 (de shíhou): Learn how to express “before”, “after”, and “when” in Chinese using time clause structures
1 Basic Grammar Pattern
In Chinese, to express “before / after / when”, we use the words 以前 (yǐqián), 以后 (yǐhòu), and 的时候 (de shíhou) at the end of the first clause.
The pattern is: Subject + Verb-Object + 以前/以后/的时候, …
Important Rule: Clause Order
In English, we can reverse the order of the two clauses (e.g., “Before eating, wash your hands” or “Wash your hands before eating”).
However, in Chinese, the clause containing “before/after/when” MUST come first.
Time Relationship Visualization
before
Complete Sentence: 吃饭以前，要先洗手。
(Before eating, you should wash your hands first.)
2 以前 (yǐqián) – “Before”
以前 (yǐqián) means “before” and is placed after the verb-object phrase to indicate that an action happens prior to another event.
Examples with 以前 (yǐqián)
Structure Analysis
Pattern: First clause (time) + 以前, + second clause (action)
- 以前 is placed AFTER the verb-object phrase.
- A comma usually separates the two clauses.
- The time clause always comes first.
Common Usage Contexts
以前 is commonly used for:
3 以后 (yǐhòu) – “After”
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4 的时候 (de shíhou) – “When/While/During”
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5 Time Expressions with 前 and 后
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Practice Exercises
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