zhī
qián
(Mandarin)
(Cantonese)

HSK 4

Dictionary

before/prior to/ago/previously/beforehand

Examples

我昨天之前已经完成了作业。

Wǒ zuótiān zhīqián yǐjīng wánchéngle zuòyè.

I had already finished my homework before yesterday.

Did You Know?

Word Order

Word Formation

之 is a possessive particle and 前 means 'front' or 'before'.

Usage Tips

之前 is placed after a time or event to mean 'before', e.g., 吃饭之前 (before eating), and can start a sentence: 之前,我住在北京 (Before, I lived in Beijing).