之前
zhī qián

How to write 之前 (zhī qián) in Chinese

之前 (pinyin: zhī qián, written "zhi qian" or "zhiqian") means before. Below: its meaning, pronunciation, stroke order, and example sentences, so you can learn how to read, say, and write 之前.

Meaning

  • before
  • prior to
  • ago
  • previously

Stroke order

Character breakdown

Examples

在那之前,我从课本上见过、电视里见过、朋友的照片里见过,但都不一样。
zài nà zhī qián, wǒ cóng kè běn shang jiàn guò, diàn shì lǐ jiàn guò, péng you de zhào piàn lǐ jiàn guò, dàn dōu bù yí yàng.
Before that, I'd seen it in textbooks, on TV, in friends' photos, but none of those was the same.

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