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Time / Verb + 以前 (before …)
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Before you go to bed
- Your doctor gives you advice about a good night's sleep.
- to go to bed睡觉before以前don't be fooled by the fact…别看cell phone手机。 — "Don't look at your phone before going to bed."
Time / Verb phrase + before以前
- X + before以前 = "before X". Unlike English, before以前 comes after the time or action: eight o'clock八点before以前, to go to class上课before以前.
- The whole phrase usually comes before the main verb: you你eight o'clock八点before以前come来(suggestion)吧.
you你eight o'clock八点before以前come来吧。
Complete: “Please come back before ten.” 请十点____回来。
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Time + 以前 = before that time.
Deadlines and order
- Friday星期五before以前must要to hand over交school assignment作业。 — "The homework must be handed in before Friday."
- eat吃饭before以前must要wash hands洗手。 — "Wash your hands before you eat." ago前 alone can replace before以前 in short phrases: cooked rice饭ago前, to sleep睡ago前.
eat吃饭before以前must要wash hands洗手。
Build: “The homework must be handed in before Friday.”
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Time + 以前 + verb phrase.
before以前 comes last
- Put before以前 after what it refers to: to go to class上课before以前, not before以前to go to class上课 (which means "in the past, I attended class").
- The before以前 phrase goes before the main verb, not at the end: I我十点before以前to return home回家, not I我to return home回家十点before以前.
Which says “Turn off the light before you leave.”?
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Action + 以前, then the main verb.
before以前 versus ago前
- before以前 works after any time or action: three days三天before以前, to go abroad出国before以前.
- ago前 is shorter and fixed in some phrases: three days三天ago前, to sleep睡ago前, cooked rice饭ago前. Both mean "before" here.
I我three days三天ago前arrived in到Beijing北京。
三天前 and 三天以前 both mean “three days ago”.
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
前 is a shorter form of 以前 after a time.
Recap
- Time / action + before以前 = before …; it follows what it refers to.
- The phrase sits before the main verb. ago前 is a shorter form: three days三天ago前, to sleep睡ago前.
Read the full reference: HSK 3 grammar — Nouns.
Your doctor gives you advice about a good night's sleep. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.