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Referring to a prior time with 此前 (cǐqián)
Sequence & Order
Time Expressions
Structure
此前 + Clause
Explanation
The time word 此前 (cǐqián) means "before this," "previously," or "prior to this" and is used to refer back to an earlier point in time relative to the events being discussed. It is common in news writing and formal prose to provide background context. It typically appears at the start of a sentence.
Examples
此前他从未出过国，这是第一次。
Cǐqián tā cóngwèi chūguo guó, zhè shì dì yī cì.
He had never been abroad before; this was his first time.
公司此前已经发布了两次警告。
Gōngsī cǐqián yǐjīng fābùle liǎng cì jǐnggào.
The company had already issued two warnings prior to this.
此前的调查显示，大多数人支持这项政策。
Cǐqián de diàochá xiǎnshì, dàduōshù rén zhīchí zhè xiàng zhèngcè.
Previous surveys showed that the majority of people support this policy.