Word: 以前 (yǐqián)

我以前和他去过波士顿。

Wǒ yǐqián hé tā qùguo Bōshìdùn.

I once went to Boston with him.

我以前在山里。

Wǒ yǐqián zài shān lǐ.

I was in the mountains.

我以前在这条河里游泳。

Wǒ yǐqián zài zhè tiáo hé lǐ yóuyǒng.

I used to swim in this river.

我以前在这里没见过你。

Wǒ yǐqián zài zhèlǐ méi jiànguo nǐ.

I haven't seen you around here before.

我以前常说法语。

Wǒ yǐqián cháng shuō Fǎyǔ.

I used to speak French a lot.

我以前打网球。

Wǒ yǐqián dǎ wǎngqiú.

I used to play tennis.

我以前星期天常常和他去打网球。

Wǒ yǐqián xīngqītiān chángcháng hé tā qù dǎ wǎngqiú.

I often used to play tennis with him on Sundays.

我以前是医生。

Wǒ yǐqián shì yīshēng.

I was a doctor.

我以前有只大狗。

Wǒ yǐqián yǒu zhǐ dà gǒu.

I had a huge dog.

我以前来过很多次了。

Wǒ yǐqián láiguo hěn duōcì le.

I've been here many times before.

我以前每天在这里游泳。

Wǒ yǐqián měitiān zài zhèlǐ yóuyǒng.

I used to swim here every day.

我以前每天早上也会去散步。

Wǒ yǐqián měitiān zǎoshang yě huì qù sànbù.

I used to take a walk every morning.

我以前没见过你吗？

Wǒ yǐqián méi jiànguo nǐ ma?

Haven't I seen you before?

我以前经常碰上她。

Wǒ yǐqián jīngcháng pèngshàng tā.

I used to bump into her all the time.

我以前被骗过。

Wǒ yǐqián bèi piànguo.

I've been cheated before.

我以前见过你吗？

Wǒ yǐqián jiànguo nǐ ma?

Have I ever met you before?

我以前读过这本书。

Wǒ yǐqián dúguo zhè běn shū.

I have read the book before.

我以前还真不知道你做饭这么好。

Wǒ yǐqián hái zhēn bù zhīdào nǐ zuòfàn zhème hǎo.

Before now I had no idea that you could cook so well.

我们不像以前那么经常一起做。

Wǒmen bú xiàng yǐqián nàme jīngcháng yìqǐ zuò.

We don't do that together as often as we used to.

我们以前没见过吗？

Wǒmen yǐqián méi jiànguo ma?

Haven't we met before?

我们以前见过吗？

Wǒmen yǐqián jiànguo ma?

Have we met before?

我们以前讨论过。

Wǒmen yǐqián tǎolùnguo.

We've had this discussion before.

我们坐着谈很久以前的事。

Wǒmen zuòzhe tán hěn jiǔ yǐqián de shì.

We sat talking about the remote past.

我们晚上八点以前就会到。

Wǒmen wǎnshang bā diǎn yǐqián jiù huì dào.

We'll arrive before 8pm.

我做得不如以前好了。

Wǒ zuò de bùrú yǐqián hǎole.

I don't do that as well as I used to.

我叔叔以前是农民工。

Wǒ shūshu yǐqián shì nóngmíngōng.

My uncle used to be a migrant worker.

我后天以前必须要完成这个工作。

Wǒ hòutiān yǐqián bìxū yào wánchéng zhège gōngzuò.

I must finish this work by the day after tomorrow.

我就知道你以前住在波士顿。

Wǒ jiù zhīdào nǐ yǐqián zhù zài Bōshìdùn.

I knew that you used to live in Boston.

我恐怕他一点以前是不会来的。

Wǒ kǒngpà tā yìdiǎn yǐqián shì búhuì lái de.

I'm afraid he won't be here until 1:00.

我想你以前做过这个。

Wǒ xiǎng nǐ yǐqián zuòguo zhège.

I think you've done this before.

我想我们以前没见过面。

Wǒ xiǎng wǒmen yǐqián méi jiànguo miàn.

I don't think we've met before.

我比以前吃得少了。

Wǒ bǐ yǐqián chī de shǎole.

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

我父母很久以前就离婚了。

Wǒ fùmǔ hěn jiǔ yǐqián jiù líhūnle.

My parents got divorced a long time ago.

我现在吃肉的次数不如以前多了。

Wǒ xiànzài chī ròu de cìshù bùrú yǐqián duō le.

I don't eat meat as much as I used to.

我真后悔以前没有好好对她。

Wǒ zhēn hòuhuǐ yǐqián méiyǒu hǎohǎo duì tā.

I wish I had treated the girl more kindly.

我确定我以前见过他。

Wǒ quèdìng wǒ yǐqián jiànguo tā.

I'm sure I've seen him before.

我记得以前见到你。

Wǒ jìde yǐqián jiàndào nǐ.

I remember meeting you before.

我记得以前读过这本小说。

Wǒ jìde yǐqián dúguo zhè běn xiǎoshuō.

I remember reading this novel before.

我记得你以前跳舞的方式。

Wǒ jìde nǐ yǐqián tiàowǔ de fāngshì.

I remember the way you used to dance.

我记得我以前看过这部电影。

Wǒ jìde wǒ yǐqián kànguo zhè bù diànyǐng.

I remember having seen this movie before.

我隐约记得他以前来过。

Wǒ yǐnyuē jìde tā yǐqián láiguo.

I vaguely remember that he has been here before.

房租要在月底以前交。

Fángzū yào zài yuèdǐ yǐqián jiāo.

The rent has to be paid before the end of the month.

搬家以前，要先整理好物品。

Bānjiā yǐqián, yào xiān zhěnglǐ hǎo wùpǐn.

Before moving, you need to sort out your belongings first.

日出以前，外面还很安静。

Rìchū yǐqián, wàimiàn hái hěn ānjìng.

Before sunrise, it's still very quiet outside.

明天中午以前，各公司都要投标。

Míngtiān zhōngwǔ yǐqián, gè gōngsī dōu yào tóubiāo.

All companies must submit their tenders before noon tomorrow.

母亲以前很喜欢打网球。

Mǔqīn yǐqián hěn xǐhuan dǎ wǎngqiú.

My mother used to be into tennis.

满族人以前住在中国的东北。

Mǎnzú rén yǐqián zhù zài Zhōngguó de Dōngběi.

The Manchu people used to live in northeast China.

火星上以前有水吗？

Huǒxīng shàng yǐqián yǒu shuǐ ma?

Was there water on Mars in the past?

现在邮政服务比以前快多了。

Xiànzài yóuzhèng fúwù bǐ yǐqián kuài duō le.

The postal service is much faster now than it used to be.

皇帝以前住在宫里。

Huángdì yǐqián zhù zài gōng lǐ.

The emperor used to live in the palace.

签字以前，你要仔细看看合约。

Qiānzì yǐqián, nǐ yào zǐxì kànkan héyuē.

Before you sign, you should read the contract carefully.

签租约以前，你先看清楚。

Qiān zūyuē yǐqián, nǐ xiān kàn qīngchu.

Read it carefully before you sign the lease.

米饭煮好五分钟以前，要开始炒肉。

Mǐfàn zhǔ hǎo wǔ fēnzhōng yǐqián, yào kāishǐ chǎo ròu.

Five minutes before the rice is boiled, you should start frying the meat.

老人的听觉不如以前好了。

Lǎorén de tīngjué bùrú yǐqián hǎole.

The old man's hearing isn't as good as it used to be.

请在明天以前收取你的快递。

Qǐng zài míngtiān yǐqián shōuqǔ nǐ de kuàidì.

Please pick up your package before tomorrow.

跑步以前，先热身十分钟。

Pǎobù yǐqián, xiān rèshēn shí fēnzhōng.

Before running, warm up for ten minutes first.

输血以前，护士要先检查血型。

Shūxuè yǐqián, hùshi yào xiān jiǎnchá xuèxíng.

Before a transfusion, the nurse has to check the blood type.

这不像以前那样了。

Zhè bú xiàng yǐqián nàyàng le.

It isn't like that anymore.

这事发生在很多年以前。

Zhè shì fāshēng zài hěn duōnián yǐqián.

It happened a long time ago.

这些学者以前在哪？

Zhèxiē xuézhě yǐqián zài nǎ?

Where were these scholars at before this?

这些精美的瓷器以前是皇室用的。

Zhèxiē jīngměi de cíqì yǐqián shì huángshì yòng de.

These exquisite porcelain items were once used by the imperial household.

这家剧院以前星期天也营业。

Zhè jiā jùyuàn yǐqián xīngqītiān yě yíngyè.

The theater used to open on Sundays.

这幢楼以前是医院。

Zhè zhuàng lóu yǐqián shì yīyuàn.

Formerly this building was a hospital.

这张脸我以前见过。

Zhè zhāng liǎn wǒ yǐqián jiànguo.

That's a face I've seen before.

这是我以前从未见过的现象。

Zhè shì wǒ yǐqián cóngwèi jiànguo de xiànxiàng.

It's a phenomenon I've never seen before.

这辆车没有以前跑得那么顺畅了。

Zhè liàng chē méiyǒu yǐqián pǎo de nàme shùnchàngle.

This car is running less smoothly than it used to.

这里以前是座旧庙。

Zhèlǐ yǐqián shì zuò jiù miào.

There used to be an old temple here.

这里以前有一座监狱。

Zhèlǐ yǐqián yǒu yí zuò jiānyù.

There used to be a prison here.

这里以前有个商店。

Zhèlǐ yǐqián yǒu gè shāngdiàn.

There used to be a store right here.

这里以前有邮局。

Zhèlǐ yǐqián yǒu yóujú.

There used to be a post office here.

这里我们以前来过。

Zhèlǐ wǒmen yǐqián láiguo.

We've been here before.

进地铁站以前，包要先扫描。

Jìn dìtiězhàn yǐqián, bāo yào xiān sǎomiáo.

Before entering the subway station, bags have to be scanned first.

进门以前，先把衣服上的雪抖掉。

Jìnmén yǐqián, xiān bǎ yīfu shàng de xuě dǒu diào.

Before coming in, shake the snow off your clothes.

那已经是很久以前的事了。

Nà yǐjīng shì hěn jiǔ yǐqián de shì le.

That's already a long time ago.

那座岛以前是殖民地。

Nà zuò dǎo yǐqián shì zhímíndì.

That island used to be a colony.

那是以前的照片。

Nà shì yǐqián de zhàopiān.

That's an old picture.

那是好久以前。

Nà shì hǎojiǔ yǐqián.

That was a long time ago.

那里以前有一棵高大的雪松树。

Nàli yǐqián yǒu yì kē gāodà de xuě sōngshù.

There used to be a large cedar tree there.