以前
yǐqián
before; previously; formerly
Every meaning
yǐqián
- before; previously; formerly
In a sentence
我以前在北京工作过。
I used to work in Beijing.
Written by Claude and checked by our reader.
In the Library
老人告诉她，他姓马，退休以前是中学老师，女儿去国外已经八年了。
长寿面 · Long-life noodles · HSK 3
有一种常见的说法是：以前很多人吃不饱，见面问一句“吃了吗”，就像在问你过得好不好。
为什么中国人见面总问“吃了吗”？ · Why do Chinese people ask “Have you eaten?” · HSK 3
她以前是小学老师，现在说话还像在上课。
Its characters
Words with 以
Words with 前
Meanings are from Mandarin The Wild’s own dictionary. Levels follow the official HSK word list (the exam’s 2025 syllabus, levels 7–9 shown together).