Vocabulary list: Past events in Mandarin Chinese grammar (there's no past tense!) 语法：了、是…的、以前

我昨天在食堂吃饭了。

Wǒ zuótiān zài shítáng chīfànle.

Yesterday I ate in the canteen.

我昨天遇见了他。

Wǒ zuótiān yùjiànle tā.

I bumped into him yesterday.

昨天发生了一件有趣的事。

Zuótiān fāshēngle yí jiàn yǒuqù de shì.

Something interesting happened yesterday.

他前天到北京的。

Tā qiántiān dào Běijīng de.

He arrived in Beijing the day before yesterday.

假如今天是星期五，前天就是星期三。

Jiǎrú jīntiān shì xīngqīwǔ, qiántiān jiùshì xīngqīsān.

If today is Friday, the day before yesterday was Wednesday.

我前天收到了你的信。

Wǒ qiántiān shōudàole nǐ de xìn.

I received your letter the day before yesterday.

上个星期我感冒了。

Shànggexīngqī wǒ gǎnmàole.

I had a cold last week.

上个星期天天下雪。

Shànggexīngqī tiāntiān xiàxuě.

It snowed every day last week.

她上个星期没有上课。

Tā shànggexīngqī méiyǒu shàngkè.

She didn't go to class last week.

现在是九月，那么上个月是八月。

Xiànzài shì jiǔyuè, nàme shànggeyuè shì bāyuè.

It's September now, so last month was August.

我上个月在那里度假。

Wǒ shànggeyuè zài nàli dùjià.

I went on holiday there last month.

他上个月辞的职。

Tā shànggeyuè cí de zhí.

He quit his job last month.

我们是去年认识的。

Wǒmen shì qùnián rènshi de.

We met last year.

我去年就戒烟了。

Wǒ qùnián jiù jièyān le.

I quit smoking last year.

我去年夏天去了中国旅游。

Wǒ qùnián xiàtiān qùle Zhōngguó lǚyóu.

I went travelling in China last summer.

他前年去世的。

Tā qiánnián qùshì de.

He passed away the year before last.

前年这里下大雪。

Qiánnián zhèlǐ xià dàxuě.

There was heavy snowfall here the year before last.

她前年退休的。

Tā qiánnián tuìxiū de.

She retired the year before last.

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，我们没有手机。

Yǐqián, wǒmen méiyǒu shǒujī.

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

以前，他很害羞。

Yǐqián, tā hěn hàixiū.

He used to be very shy.

十年前他来到了中国。

Shínián qián tā láidàole Zhōngguó.

He arrived in China ten years ago.

一个小时前我们去散了个步。

Yí gè xiǎoshí qián wǒmen qù sànle gè bù.

We went on a walk an hour ago.

三个月前她在上海。

Sān gè yuè qián tā zài Shànghǎi.

She was in Shanghai three months ago.

我小的时候不喜欢吃蔬菜。

Wǒ xiǎo de shíhou bù xǐhuan chī shūcài.

I didn't like eating vegetables when I was little.

他做饭的时候伤到了自己。

Tā zuòfàn de shíhou shāng dàole zìjǐ.

He injured himself whilst cooking.

我在美国的时候很想家。

Wǒ zài Měiguó de shíhou hěn xiǎng jiā.

I was very homesick when I was in America.

对不起，刚才没听见。

Duìbùqǐ, gāngcái méi tīngjiàn.

Sorry, I didn't hear you.

我没想到在这里会碰到你。

Wǒ méixiǎngdào zài zhèlǐ huì pèngdào nǐ.

I didn't expect to bump into you here.

你没有犯错误。

Nǐ méiyǒu fàn cuòwù.

You didn't make a mistake.

我们是在伦敦认识的。

Wǒmen shì zài Lúndūn rènshi de.

We met in London. It was in London that we met.

我是跟我哥哥一起开车去青岛的。

Wǒ shì gēn wǒ gēge yìqǐ kāichē qù Qīngdǎo de.

I drove to Qingdao with my brother. It was with my brother that I drove to Qingdao.

他们是去年搬的家。

Tāmen shì qùnián bān de jiā.

They moved house last year. It was last year that they moved house.