Time / Verb + 以前 (before …)
Before the bell rings
- "Before three o'clock", "before dinner" — you mark a deadline.
- Chinese puts before以前 after the time or action: 三点before以前.
- The word order flips from English: time first, before以前 last.
Time / Verb + before以前
- [Time / Action] + before以前 = "before [that]".
three o'clock三点before以前come back回来。
- 三点before以前to return回来 = "come back before three."
Practice
Come back before three: 三点 ____ 回来。
Time + 以前 = before that time: 三点以前 (before 3).
Practice
Where does 以前 go?
以前 follows the time/verb — opposite order to English: 三点以前.
Practice
Build: “Come back before three.”
Time + 以前 + Verb: 三点 + 以前 + 回来.
Also after a verb
- to have a meal吃饭before以前 (before eating), to go to bed睡觉before以前 (before sleeping).
sleep睡觉before以前brush teeth刷牙。
- to go to bed睡觉before以前to brush one's teeth刷牙 = "brush your teeth before bed."
Explore
Correct or broken?
X + 以前 anchors 'before X' — the event stands in front, bare, no 的.
Practice
以前 also attaches to a verb: 睡觉以前 (before sleeping).
Yes: 吃饭以前 (before eating), 睡觉以前 (before bed).
Recap
Key idea
- Time / Verb + before以前 — "before …" (before以前 comes AFTER)
- 三点before以前 (before 3) · to have a meal吃饭before以前 (before eating)
- Opposite word order from English
Read the full reference: HSK 3 grammar — Nouns.