Definition
先前 is a formal, written word meaning 'before; previously', used to refer to a time before the present or a specific past moment. It is similar to 以前 and 之前, but 先前 sounds more literary and is less common in everyday speech; 以前 is the everyday choice for 'before', while 之前 can also mean 'ago' and is neutral in register.
noun
beforepreviously
Examples
- 先前，。Wǒ xiān qián bù zhīdào zhè jiàn shì, hòulái cái tīngshuō de.I didn't know about this before; I only heard about it later.
- 先前，？xiān qián de jìhuà, xiànzài hái yǒuxiào ma?Is the previous plan still valid now?
- 先前，。Tā xiān qián zhù zài Běijīng, qùnián bān dào le Shànghǎi.He lived in Beijing before, and moved to Shanghai last year.
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