以前 (yǐqián) means Before (formerly - previous - ago). Below are 8 sentences on this site that use it — with pinyin, an English translation and audio. All of them were written by hand; none is machine generated.
Dictionary examples
以前 这里是一个公园。
Yǐqián zhèlǐ shì yí gè gōngyuán.
This used to be a park.
Dictionary example · HSK 3 · 以前
睡觉 以前 我喜欢看书。
Shuìjiào yǐqián wǒ xǐhuan kàn shū.
I like to read before going to sleep.
Dictionary example · HSK 3 · 以前
留学 以前 要先学好汉语。
Liúxué yǐqián yào xiān xuéhǎo Hànyǔ.
Before studying abroad you should learn Chinese well first.
Dictionary example · HSK 3 · 留学
From the graded readers
以前 的小路变成了很宽的马路。
yǐqián de / dì xiǎo lù biànchéng le / liǎo / liào hěn kuān de / dì mǎlù.
The little lane had become a wide road.
Graded reader · HSK 4 · Going Back Home
现在我的中文比 以前 好多了，我很感谢她。
xiànzài wǒ de(possessive) zhōngwén bǐ yǐqián hǎoduō le / liǎo / liào, wǒ hěn gǎnxiè tā.
My Chinese is much better than before now, and I'm grateful to her.
Graded reader · HSK 2 · My Chinese Teacher
我 以前 不太喜欢吃月饼，可是那天觉得特别好吃。
wǒ yǐqián bù tài xǐhuan chī yuè bǐng, kěshì nà / nèi tiān juéde tèbié hǎo / hào chī.
I'd never much liked mooncakes, but that night they tasted wonderful.
Graded reader · HSK 3 · Mid-Autumn Festival
他看了很久，最后只说了一句：“你比 以前 爱笑了。”
tā kànle hěn jiǔ, zuìhòu zhī shuōle yī jù:" nǐ bǐ yǐqián ài xiào le / liǎo / liào."
He looked around for a long time and in the end said only, "You smile more than you used to."
Graded reader · HSK 4 · Changing Jobs
Questions about 以前
How is 以前 used in a sentence?
This page shows 8 sentences using 以前 (yǐqián, "Before (formerly - previous - ago)"), each with pinyin, an English translation and audio. Every one of them was written by hand for this site.
Are these sentences machine generated?
No. They come from the site's own dictionary examples, graded readers, travel phrasebook and grammar library — all written by a person. A word with no sentence gets no page here, rather than a page of invented ones.
Is 以前 an HSK word?
Yes — 以前 is on the official HSK 3 vocabulary list, and you can study it with the rest of that list on the HSK 3 page.
Where can I see the full entry for 以前?
The dictionary page for 以前 has its stroke order, its traditional form, every sense the dictionary lists and a character-by-character breakdown. It is linked at the top of this page.
Keep going
Read the full entry for 以前, write a sentence of your own and check it in the Pinyin Annotator, drill it with HSK 3 flashcards, or search the whole sentence bank for another word.
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