以前

before; formerly, before, ago

i ² ¹ ⁴ ⁻ ² ¹ t͡ɕʰ i̯ ɛ n ³ ⁵
noun Common #1,646
before; formerly Refers to an earlier time or state, often one that is different from the present.
CH: 他不再是以前那个他。
EN: He is no longer the person he used to be.

什么都做不到以前只懂得练功夫

I couldn't do anything before; all I knew was how to practice kung fu.

— 叶问 (2008)

我是这所学校的门卫我知道但是以前呢?

I know I’m the security guard at this school, but what about before?

— 焦土之城 (2010)

他不再是以前那个他。

He’s no longer the person he used to be.

这是以前贵族喝的

This is what nobles used to drink.

— 莫斯科不相信眼泪 (1980)

以前那里没有过猫。

There were never any cats there before.

以前

Before

— 烈日灼人 (1994)

没错,但我以前也是个穷光蛋

That's right, but I used to be broke too.

— 阿玛柯德 (1973)

我感觉到事情跟以前不一样了

I feel like things aren't the same as they used to be.

— 搏击俱乐部 (1999)

以前海洛因是有钱人的玩意

Heroin used to be a rich person’s thing.

— 野蛮入侵 (2003)

以前也是这么说

That’s what you said before too.

— 釜山行 (2016)

爸爸,你以前不是经常打拳吗?

Dad, didn’t you used to box a lot?

— 叶问 (2008)

以前的人都往外面走

People used to go out.

— 甜蜜蜜 (1996)

你以前是不是有一点喜欢我

Did you used to like me a little?

— 你的名字。 (2016)

以前他从来不跳舞

He never used to dance.

— 三峡好人 (2006)

那边全都是以前留下来的矿坑

That whole area is covered with old mine pits left behind from years ago.

— 天空之城 (1986)

就像以前一样化个妆的话看吧

Let's see how it looks if you do your makeup like you used to.

— 小偷家族 (2018)

我做得不如以前好了。

I’m not doing as well as I used to.

不是以前

No, it was before.

— 罗马 (2018)

以前说我长得丑真的吗

Did you really say I was ugly before?

— 燃烧 (2018)

那个地图上的动物那是她以前经常画的,一模一样,你是怎么知道的

That animal on the map is exactly like the ones she used to draw all the time. How did you know?

— 倩女幽魂 (1987)

其实,我在以前已经拥有了最重要的东西

Actually, I already had the most important thing all along.

— 铃芽之旅 (2022)

你以前结过婚?

Have you been married before?

— 天才一族 (2001)

以前当然好多了就是因为照料我的人是你啊

Of course things were much better before—it was because you were the one taking care of me.

— 伊莲娜 (2011)

以前,一个很有智慧的人说过恋爱的第一步就是友谊..

Once, a very wise person said that the first step toward romance is friendship.

— 爱,没有明天 (2003)

以前…我希望他每天都陪着我

I used to wish he could be with me every day.

— 叶问 (2008)

介不介意说说为什麽以前不告诉我?

Would you mind telling me why you didn't tell me before?

— 好人寥寥 (1992)

以前爸爸经常带我来这里玩

Dad used to bring me here to play.

— I Am What I Am 2 (2024)

以前也有这种人

There have been people like this before, too.

— 大逃杀 (2000)

你在专家的手上我以前的头发也像你的一样

You're in the hands of an expert; my hair used to look like yours, too.

— 黑潮 (1992)

以前我是讨厌做菜,可现在我很喜欢。

I used to hate cooking, but now I really enjoy it.

以前他非常帅气

He used to be very handsome.

— 巴菲的奇妙命运 (2012)

我不像我以前那么拖延了。

I don't procrastinate as much as I used to.

以前我还一直以为有不错的未来呢其实根本就没有

I used to think I had a bright future ahead of me, but in fact, I didn’t.

— 鬼童院 (2001)

以前敏敏一直在家我都觉得说有什么问题反正问她就好了

Back when Minmin was always at home, I figured that if there was ever a problem, I could just ask her.

— 一一 (2000)

以前资讯不发达做了话事人

Back when information was scarce, they became the one calling the shots.

— 黑社会 (2005)

说实话,我认识她,可我们以前没怎么聊过。

To be honest, I know her, but we haven’t talked much before.

以前有人约过我,

Someone asked me out before.

— 好人寥寥 (1992)

以前,我散步的时候感觉有点匆忙。

I used to feel a little rushed when I went for walks.

可是我现在已经不是我以前那个样子了

But I'm not the person I used to be anymore.

— 后来的我们 (2018)

真希望你以前就这么关心我

I really wish you had cared about me this much before.

— 天才一族 (2001)

我们以前去那里喝过杂炊稀饭记得吗?

We went there for zōsui porridge before, remember?

— 萤火虫之墓 (1988)

你以前有没有写过剧本?

Have you ever written a screenplay before?

— 红磨坊 (2001)

但以前…

But in the past…

— 关于我母亲的一切 (1999)

你以前不是那么无礼的

You weren't this rude before.

— 蓝白红三部曲之蓝 (1993)

其实啊我以前没有认真追过沈佳宜

Actually, I never seriously pursued Shen Jiayi before.

— 那些年,我们一起追的女孩 (2011)

以前小军常常啃麦当劳的时候给我写信的

Xiaojun used to write me letters while eating McDonald’s.

— 甜蜜蜜 (1996)

那你以前做什么?

So what did you do before?

— 重庆森林 (1994)

他确实喜欢以前他都会为了清酒没了而生气

He really does like it—he used to get upset whenever we ran out of sake.

— 东京物语 (1953)

以前还有回来的电车最近都只去不回

The trams that used to come back now only go one way.

— 千与千寻 (2001)

想想过去每天晚上睡觉前关大门的时候总是没将钥匙锁上以前不是没有钥匙

Looking back, every night before bed, I would close the front door but never lock it with the key. It wasn’t because I didn’t have a key.

— 天堂电影院 (1988)

他们告诉我的以前,我很快乐

I was happy before they told me.

— 蓝白红三部曲之蓝 (1993)

我认识你这么久了你以前就是个坏小子,现在也一样吧?

I've known you for so long—you used to be a bad boy, and you still are, right?

— 穆那大哥做医生 (2003)

以前每年都去的有次下了大雨

One time, it rained heavily at the place we used to visit every year.

— 小偷家族 (2018)

以前的人不是常说吗

Didn't people in the past often say that?

— 哈尔的移动城堡 (2004)

以前人们用烟作为联络信号。

In the past, people used smoke as a signal to communicate.

这都是以前的照片

These are all old photos.

— 看见恶魔 (2010)

以前我觉得你很笨

I used to think you were very stupid.

— 重庆森林 (1994)

但如果你想让我象以前一样帮助你,那时你也很高兴。

But if you want me to help you the way I used to, you were happy with that before too.

— 八部半 (1963)

我回来的那天我找不到以前住的地方

The day I came back, I couldn’t find the place where I used to live.

— A Sun (2019)

以前这里住着个可怕的怪物。

A terrifying monster used to live here.

我跟了韩琛三年多以前跟过几个老大加起来也有十年

I've been with Han Chen for over three years. Before that, I worked for a few other bosses—ten years in total.

— 无间道 (2002)

他以前就是个基佬吗

Was he gay before?

— 完美陌生人 (2016)

志夏以前对人比较好

Zhixia used to be kinder to people.

— 东京物语 (1953)

以前比较出名

It used to be relatively well-known.

— 美食总动员 (2007)

以前不一样

It wasn't like this before.

— 小萝莉的猴神大叔 (2015)

在我以前年老的时候

Back when I was old

— 罗马 (2018)

因为我不再做以前做的梦了.

Because I no longer have the dreams I used to have.

— 宝莱坞生死恋 (2002)

我现在跟以前不一样了

I'm different now than I used to be.

— 一一 (2000)

以前人家是叫我甘道夫

People used to call me Gandalf.

— 指环王2:双塔奇兵 (2002)

就像以前一样

Just like before.

— 这个杀手不太冷 (1994)

我是说你对我不象以前那么好了

I mean, you're not as nice to me as you used to be.

— 阳光灿烂的日子 (1994)

preposition Uncommon #6,929
before Used before a time or event to mean earlier than it.
CH: 我以前住在上海。
EN: I lived in Shanghai before.
ago Used after a length of time to say how long before now something happened.
CH: 他三年前以前就认识我了。
EN: He knew me three years ago.

这包东西今天晚上九点以前你一定要替我交给阿杰里面的东西对他很重要的

You absolutely must deliver this package to Ajie by nine o’clock tonight for me. What’s inside is very important to him.

— 英雄本色 (1986)

六个月以前

Six months ago

— 烈日灼人 (1994)

我后天以前必须要完成这个工作。

I have to finish this work by the day after tomorrow.

多久以前?

How long ago?

那是三个月以前了

That was three months ago.

— 莫斯科不相信眼泪 (1980)

嗯,那是在你结婚以前

Hmm, that was before you got married.

— 末代皇帝 (1987)

在船上,几年以前我不能肯定他坐的是这条船

On the ship, a few years ago I couldn’t be sure that he was on this particular one.

— 海上钢琴师 (1998)

救护车来以前,除了我谁都别在这儿呆着。

Until the ambulance arrives, no one except me stays here.

— 死亡录像 (2007)

我在两个半小时以前就吃了午饭。

I had lunch two and a half hours ago.

大概两小时以前?

About two hours ago?

— 罗马 (2018)

八点以前你跟她一起来

Come with her before eight.

— 办公室的故事 (1977)

那昨天以前就再也不能变了吗

So it couldn't be changed anymore before yesterday?

— 时空恋旅人 (2013)

姑娘在出嫁以前哪一定要洗个澡才能上路

Before a girl gets married, she must take a bath before setting off.

— 洗澡 (1999)

但那是很多年以前了.

But that was many years ago.

— 宝莱坞生死恋 (2002)

这说明在一千年以前陨石就在这片地区至少坠落过一次

This indicates that a meteorite fell in this area at least once more than a thousand years ago.

— 你的名字。 (2016)

这事发生在很多年以前。

This happened many years ago.

一会儿以前你在跟谁谈话呢

Who were you talking to a little while ago?

— 城市英雄 (1993)

很久以前

A long time ago

— 天才一族 (2001)

noun Rare #30,911
ago Follows a length of time to say how long before now something happened.
CH: 恐龙好久以前就灭绝了。
EN: Dinosaurs went extinct a long time ago.

那是好久以前。

That was a long time ago.

恐龙好久以前就灭绝了。

Dinosaurs went extinct a long time ago.

我很久以前就跟我爸一起出来做但是后来手没了

I started working with my dad a long time ago, but later I lost my hand.

— A Sun (2019)