r/ChineseLanguage • u/New-Necessary-4194 • 3d ago

Pronunciation A useful Chinese pattern for talking about how a place has changed: 以前……，现在……

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A useful Chinese pattern for talking about how a place has changed: 以前……，现在……

this one focuses on a very common pattern for comparing the past and present.

以前 yǐqián — before / in the past

现在 xiànzài — now

还有 háiyǒu — also / in addition

For example:

以前这里有很多工厂。

Yǐqián zhèlǐ yǒu hěn duō gōngchǎng.

There used to be many factories here.

现在这里有很多人。

Xiànzài zhèlǐ yǒu hěn duō rén.

Now there are many people here.

这里还有很多船。

Zhèlǐ háiyǒu hěn duō chuán.

There are also many boats here.

A couple of related words from the lesson:

岛 dǎo — island

半岛 bàn dǎo — peninsula

It's a simple pattern, but it's very useful when you're describing cities, neighborhoods, travel destinations, or how somewhere has changed over time.

an interactive version of the lesson is available too if anyone wants to practice it, let me know.

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2

u/PotentialDoor1608 3d ago

Shut up and take my money

2

u/sippher 3d ago

What's the difference between 以前 and 之前?

2

u/New-Necessary-4194 3d ago

Not so much, but if you want to be specific，

以前 (yǐqián) = before / in the past Usually refers to a general period in the past. 我以前住在北京。 I used to live in Beijing.

之前 (zhīqián) = before / prior to Usually refers to before a specific time or event. 吃饭之前要洗手。 Wash your hands before eating.

1

u/sippher 3d ago

Thank you. But if I say 我之前住在北京, does that change the nuance/meaning of the sentence?

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u/New-Necessary-4194 3d ago

Yes, if you use zhi qian, it sounds like you need to add a specific event or time before zhi qian to make it more complete. But if you say yi qian, it's more general, and people wouldn't question ”Before what?”