yǐ qián
avant
以前，我住在北京。
yǐqián, wǒ zhù zài běijīng.
Before, I lived in Beijing.
以前，我喜欢吃苹果。
yǐqián, wǒ xǐhuān chī píngguǒ.
Before, I liked to eat apples.
以前，我不会说中文。
yǐqián, wǒ bù huì shuō zhōngwén.
Before, I couldn't speak Chinese.
从前 (cóngqián)
before; in the past
过去 (guòqù)
past; before
以后 (yǐhòu)
afterwards
现在 (xiànzài)
now
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The Chinese word 以前 (yǐqián) is composed of two characters: 以 (yǐ) and 前 (qián). 以 can be translated as "to use", "to take", or "to regard", while 前 means "before" or "in front". Together, 以前 literally means "to use before" or "to take before". In modern Chinese, 以前 is used as a preposition to indicate a time in the past, similar to the English word "before". For example, the sentence "我以前住在这里" (wǒ yǐqián zhù zài zhèlǐ) means "I used to live here".The character 以 is also used in other words with similar meanings, such as 以前 (yǐwàng), which means "in the past", and 以前 (yǐhòu), which means "before and after". The character 前 is also used in other words with similar meanings, such as 前面 (qiánmiàn), which means "in front", and 前天 (qiántiān), which means "the day before yesterday".By understanding the etymology of 以前, HSK learners can better understand its meaning and usage in modern Chinese.
