HSK 2
（在）⋯⋯以前/以后/前/后
（ zài ） ⋯ ⋯ yǐ qián / yǐ hòu / qián / hòu
Using 在...以前/以后, 前/后 to indicate time
Explanation
This structure is used to say that something happens BEFORE or AFTER another point in time/event. '以前 / 前' (yǐqián / qián) means 'before'; '以后 / 后' (yǐhòu / hòu) means 'after'.
(在) + [verb/event] + 以前/前 or 以后/后. The character '在' (zài) at the beginning may be present or omitted, both are fine: 在来中国以前 = 来中国以前 (before coming to China). This whole phrase serves as an adverbial (a component indicating time, place, or manner), usually placed at the BEGINNING of the sentence.
when you want to arrange the time order of two events — this one before/after that one. '以前/以后' and the short forms '前/后' mean the same thing; the short forms usually go with short phrases (运动前, 下课后).
the biggest difference from Vietnamese is that '以前/以后' is placed AFTER the event (来中国以前 = 'come to China' + 'before'), whereas Vietnamese says 'before coming to China' (the before/after word goes first). Vietnamese learners often put it in the wrong order following the Vietnamese pattern (*以前来中国*). Remember: the event first, '以前/以后' after.
Examples
Before coming to China, I had only studied a little Chinese.
After finishing lunch, I often sleep for a while.
Before exercising you should warm up your body a bit.
Tomorrow after class I will go to your place right away.
Practice
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Learn “（在）⋯⋯以前/以后/前/后” effectively
The grammar point “（在）⋯⋯以前/以后/前/后” (Using 在...以前/以后, 前/后 to indicate time) is one of the key structures at HSK 2. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.
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