Word: 以前 (yǐqián)

三天以前，我在南京。

Sāntiān yǐqián, wǒ zài Nánjīng.

Three days ago, I was in Nanjing.

买房子以前，你要认真衡量一下。

Mǎi fángzi yǐqián, nǐ yào rènzhēn héngliáng yíxià.

Before buying a house, you need to think it over carefully.

买房子以前，最好先实地看一看。

Mǎi fángzi yǐqián, zuìhǎo xiān shídì kànyíkàn.

Before buying a house, it's best to go and see it in person.

五点以前你必须在车站。

Wǔ diǎn yǐqián nǐ bìxū zài chēzhàn.

You must be at the station by 5 o'clock.

交卷以前，你最好再复查一遍。

Jiāojuàn yǐqián, nǐ zuìhǎo zài fùchá yíbiàn.

Before you hand in your test, you'd better check it again.

他不再是以前的那个他了。

Tā búzài shì yǐqián de nàge tā le.

He is not what he used to be.

他不再是以前那个他。

Tā búzài shì yǐqián nàge tā.

He isn't himself anymore.

他以前不是那样。

Tā yǐqián bú shì nàyàng.

He didn't use to be like that.

他以前住在这儿。

Tā yǐqián zhù zài zhèr.

He used to live here.

他以前做过。

Tā yǐqián zuòguo.

He has done it before.

他以前就是在这里住的。

Tā yǐqián jiùshì zài zhèlǐ zhù de.

Here is the house where he lived.

他以前很早起床。

Tā yǐqián hěn zǎo qǐchuáng.

He used to get up early.

他以前很风光，现在很穷。

Tā yǐqián hěn fēngguāng, xiànzài hěn qióng.

He used to be well-off, but now he is poor.

他以前是个诚实的人。

Tā yǐqián shì gè chéngshí de rén.

He was an honest man.

他以前曾在北海道。

Tā yǐqián céng zài Běihǎidào.

He has been in Hokkaido before.

他再不是以前的他了。

Tā zài bú shì yǐqián de tā le.

He is not what he was.

他和以前一样话多。

Tā hé yǐqián yíyàng huà duō.

He is as talkative as ever.

他很少和以前的同学接触。

Tā hěn shǎo hé yǐqián de tóngxué jiēchù.

He is rarely in touch with his old classmates.

他比以前学得更努力了。

Tā bǐ yǐqián xué de gèng nǔlì le.

He studies much harder than before.

他比以前重得多。

Tā bǐ yǐqián zhòng de duō.

He weighs a lot more than before.

他爸爸以前在空军当飞行员。

Tā bàba yǐqián zài kōngjūn dāng fēixíngyuán.

His father used to be a pilot in the air force.

他的妈妈以前是个歌手。

Tā de māma yǐqián shì gè gēshǒu.

His mother used to be a singer.

他给了跟以前一样的回答。

Tā gěi le gēn yǐqián yíyàng de huídá.

He gave the same answer as before.

他说新的谎话来圆以前说的谎话。

Tā shuō xīn de huǎnghuà lái yuán yǐqián shuō de huǎnghuà.

He tells a new lie to cover up those that came before.

付款以前，先核一下金额吧。

Fùkuǎn yǐqián, xiān hé yíxià jīn'é ba.

Before paying, verify the amount first.

以前一斗米要多少钱？

Yǐqián yí dòu mǐ yào duōshǎo qián?

In the old days, how much did a dou of rice cost?

以前人们用烟作为联络信号。

Yǐqián rénmen yòng yān zuòwéi liánluò xìnhào.

Back then, people communicated using smoke signals.

以前从来没有人听说过。

Yǐqián cónglái méiyǒu rén tīngshuōguo.

Nobody had ever heard of it.

以前，他不喜欢吃辣的东西。

Yǐqián, tā bù xǐhuan chī là de dōngxi.

Before, he didn't like eating spicy things.

以前他们家里有两个用人。

Yǐqián tāmen jiālǐ yǒu liǎng gè yòngrén.

They used to have two servants at home.

以前，他很害羞。

Yǐqián, tā hěn hàixiū.

He used to be very shy.

以前农村大多实行土葬。

Yǐqián nóngcūn dàduō shíxíng tǔzàng.

In the past, most rural areas practiced burial in the ground.

以前农村把粪便当肥料用。

Yǐqián nóngcūn bǎ fènbiàn dāng féiliào yòng.

In the past, the countryside used night soil as fertilizer.

以前农村都用牛拉犁。

Yǐqián nóngcūn dōu yòng niú lā lí.

In the past, people in the countryside all used oxen to pull the plough.

以前女人的社会地位很低下。

Yǐqián nǚrén de shèhuì dìwèi hěn dīxià.

In the past, women's social status was very low.

以前，我不喜欢吃蔬菜。

Yǐqián, wǒ bù xǐhuan chī shūcài.

Before, I didn't like to eat vegetables.

以前，我以为他很害羞。

Yǐqián, wǒ yǐwéi tā hěn hàixiū.

Before, I thought he was very shy.

以前，我们没有手机。

Yǐqián, wǒmen méiyǒu shǒujī.

In the past, we didn't have mobile phones.

以前我们的城市还是一个村庄。

Yǐqián wǒmen de chéngshì háishi yí gè cūnzhuāng.

Our city used to be a village.

以前普通人是不能随便进皇宫的。

Yǐqián pǔtōngrén shì bùnéng suíbiàn jìn huánggōng de.

In the past, ordinary people couldn't just walk into the imperial palace.

以前有人侍候他吃饭。

Yǐqián yǒurén shìhòu tā chīfàn.

In the past, someone used to wait on him at meals.

以前有人笑话我们。

Yǐqián yǒurén xiàohua wǒmen.

People used to laugh at us.

以前有过这样的先例吗？

Yǐqián yǒuguo zhèyàng de xiānlì ma?

Has there been a precedent like this before?

以前比较好。

Yǐqián bǐjiào hǎo.

It was better in the old days.

以前的人以为地球是平的。

Yǐqián de rén yǐwéi dìqiú shì píng de.

It used to be thought that the earth was flat.

以前，这个房子没有电。

Yǐqián, zhège fángzi méiyǒu diàn.

In the past, this house didn't have electricity.

以前这里住着个可怕的怪物。

Yǐqián zhèlǐ zhùzhe gè kěpà de guàiwu.

There used to live a scary monster.

以前这里实行计划经济。

Yǐqián zhèlǐ shíxíng jìhuàjīngjì.

This place used to have a planned economy.

以前这里有一座桥。

Yǐqián zhèlǐ yǒu yí zuò qiáo.

There used to be a bridge here.

你以前不是这样说的。

Nǐ yǐqián bú shì zhèyàng shuō de.

You did not say so.

你以前住的是哪一座房子？

Nǐ yǐqián zhù de shì nǎ yí zuò fángzi?

Which house did you live in?

你以前去过京都吗？

Nǐ yǐqián qùguo Jīngdū ma?

Have you ever visited Kyoto before?

你以前喜欢吗？

Nǐ yǐqián xǐhuan ma?

Did you use to like it?

你以前应该听过这个故事。

Nǐ yǐqián yīnggāi tīngguo zhège gùshi.

You will have heard this story before.

你以前想做什么？

Nǐ yǐqián xiǎng zuò shénme?

What did you wanna do?

你以前打过台球吗？

Nǐ yǐqián dǎguò táiqiú ma?

Have you ever played billiards before?

你以前练过射击吗？

Nǐ yǐqián liànguo shèjī ma?

Have you ever practiced shooting before?

你以前见过她吗？

Nǐ yǐqián jiànguo tā ma?

Have you met her before?

你以前试过攀岩吗？

Nǐ yǐqián shìguo pānyán ma?

Have you ever tried rock climbing before?

你到这里三天以前，我梦到过你。

Nǐ dào zhèlǐ sāntiān yǐqián, wǒ mèng dàoguo nǐ.

Three days before you got here, I dreamt about you.

你必须在中午以前完成这个工作。

Nǐ bìxū zài zhōngwǔ yǐqián wánchéng zhège gōngzuò.

You have to get this work finished by noon.

你必须在后天以前完成回家作业。

Nǐ bìxū zài hòutiān yǐqián wánchéng huíjiā zuòyè.

You must get this homework finished by the day after tomorrow.

你比以前更容易上课迟到了。

Nǐ bǐ yǐqián gèng róngyì shàngkè chídàole.

You've been late for school more often than before.

你父亲以前在哪里任职？

Nǐ fùqīn yǐqián zài nǎlǐ rènzhí?

Where did your father hold his post before?

你肯定比以前强壮。

Nǐ kěndìng bǐ yǐqián qiángzhuàng.

You've definitely gotten stronger.

你还对以前的事念念不忘吗？

Nǐ hái duì yǐqián de shì niànniàn-búwàng ma?

Are you still dwelling on what happened before?

写文章以前，老师让我们先构思。

Xiě wénzhāng yǐqián, lǎoshī ràng wǒmen xiān gòusī.

Before writing an essay, the teacher has us plan it out first.

到办公室以前，我需要打个电话。

Dào bàngōngshì yǐqián, wǒ xūyào dǎ gè diànhuà.

Before I get to the office, I need to make a phone call.

去加拿大以前，他在英国教书。

Qù Jiānádà yǐqián, tā zài Yīngguó jiāoshū.

Before he went to Canada, he taught in the UK.

发出消息以前，请先核实一下。

Fāchū xiāoxi yǐqián, qǐng xiān héshí yíxià.

Please verify it first before sending out the news.

吃饭以前，我们先祈祷。

Chīfàn yǐqián, wǒmen xiān qídǎo.

Before eating, we pray.

和以前相比，已经进步了很多。

Hé yǐqián xiāngbǐ, yǐjīng jìnbù le hěn duō.

It has greatly improved compared with what it was.

哥伦布到美洲几百年以前，维京人已经到过。

Gēlúnbù dào Měizhōu jǐ bǎinián yǐqián, Wéijīngrén yǐjīng dàoguo.

Several hundred years before Columbus got there, the Vikings had already been to the Americas.

喝以前请先摇一摇瓶子。

Hē yǐqián qǐng xiān yáo yì yáo píngzi.

Please shake the bottle before drinking.

天亮以前，我们终于登顶了。

Tiānliàng yǐqián, wǒmen zhōngyú dēngdǐng le.

We finally reached the summit before dawn.

天黑以前，渔船要在小港口停泊。

Tiānhēi yǐqián, yúchuán yào zài xiǎo gǎngkǒu tíngbó.

Before dark, the fishing boats have to anchor in the small harbor.

她以前和他住一起。

Tā yǐqián hé tā zhù yìqǐ.

She used to live with him.

她以前在学校教家政。

Tā yǐqián zài xuéxiào jiāo jiāzhèng.

She used to teach housekeeping at a school.

她以前在我们公司工作。

Tā yǐqián zài wǒmen gōngsī gōngzuò.

She used to work for our company.

她以前定期来看我。

Tā yǐqián dìngqī láikàn wǒ.

She used to visit me regularly.

她以前常常熬夜。

Tā yǐqián chángcháng áoyè.

She used to always stay up late.

她以前是一位老师。

Tā yǐqián shì yí wèi lǎoshī.

She used to be a teacher.

她犯了和以前同样的错误。

Tā fànle hé yǐqián tóngyàng de cuòwù.

She made the same mistake as before.

她说她以前很快乐。

Tā shuō tā yǐqián hěn kuàilè.

She said that she had been happy.

她跟以前不一样了。

Tā gēn yǐqián bù yíyàng le.

She's different to how she was before.

学工科的女生比以前多了。

Xué gōngkē de nǚshēng bǐ yǐqián duō le.

There are more women studying engineering than before.

很久以前你就应该告诉我的。

Hěn jiǔ yǐqián nǐ jiù yīnggāi gàosu wǒ de.

You should have told me a long time ago.

恐龙好久以前就灭绝了。

Kǒnglóng hǎojiǔ yǐqián jiù mièjuéle.

Dinosaurs died out a very long time ago.

您以前从事过客服工作吗？

Nín yǐqián cóngshìguo kèfú gōngzuò ma?

Have you worked in customer service before?

您以前应该听过这个故事。

Nín yǐqián yīnggāi tīngguo zhège gùshi.

You will have heard this story before.

我不像我以前那么拖延了。

Wǒ bú xiàng wǒ yǐqián nàme tuōyánle.

I don't procrastinate as much as I used to.

我不跟以前一样壮了。

Wǒ bù gēn yǐqián yíyàng zhuàngle.

I'm not as strong as I used to be.

我以前从未做过。

Wǒ yǐqián cóngwèi zuòguo.

I'd never done it before.

我以前从未见过这样的事情。

Wǒ yǐqián cóngwèi jiànguo zhèyàng de shìqing.

I've never seen anything like this before.

我以前从未见过这种情况。

Wǒ yǐqián cóngwèi jiànguo zhèzhǒng qíngkuàng.

I've never seen anything like this before.

我以前从来没有尝过中餐。

Wǒ yǐqián cónglái méiyǒu chángguo zhōngcān.

I've never eaten Chinese food before.

我以前住在泰国，但现住在俄罗斯。

Wǒ yǐqián zhù zài Tàiguó, dàn xiàn zhù zài Éluósī.

I used to live in Thailand, but now I live in Russia.

我以前住的地方离这里不远。

Wǒ yǐqián zhù de dìfang lí zhèlǐ bù yuǎn.

I used to live not too far from here.

我以前听过这笑话。

Wǒ yǐqián tīngguo zhè xiàohua.

I've heard this joke before.

我以前和他一起上学。

Wǒ yǐqián hé tā yìqǐ shàngxué.

I used to go to school with him.