xiān qián
ReadWriteQuiz

Chinese dictionary
Show pinyin

  • n.previously; sometime before

    • nà shǒu gē wǒ xiān qián tīng guo

      先前

      I've heard that song before.

    • tā xiān qián hěn qiān xū

      先前谦虚

      He used to be unpretentious.

    • zhè hái zi de xué xí chéng jì bǐ xiān qián qiáng duō le

      孩子学习成绩先前

      This child does much better at school than before.

    • xiān qián de shǒu xí zhí xíng guān

      先前首席执行

      former chief executive officer

    • xiān qián de xié yì

      先前协议

      prior agreement

    • wū zi xiān qián de zhǔ rén

      屋子先前主人

      former owner of the house

    • wǒ xiān qián de jīng yà zhuǎn wéi le xǐ yuè

      先前惊讶喜悦

      My initial surprise was replaced by delight.

    • zhè ge gōng zuò nǐ xiān qián zuò guo ma

      这个工作先前

      Have you had any previous experience of this kind of work?

    • xiān qián de hūn yīn

      先前婚姻

      previous marriage

    • jiā jù shì xiān qián de zhù hù liú xia de

      家具先前住户留下

      The furniture had been left by the previous occupants.

    • xiān qián de shì jiàn

      先前事件

      antecedent event

    • tā xiān qián dāng lǜ shī shí wǒ céng zài tā nà lǐ shàng bān

      先前律师那里上班

      I worked for her in her earlier incarnation as a lawyer.

    • zhè xiē jié guǒ hé xiān qián de yán jiū yī zhì

      这些结果先前研究一致

      These results are in accord with earlier research.

Word usage

  • Note
    "先前" and "从前" are different from "以前". "以前" can be used after verbs or verbal phrases to indicate time, such as "解放以前" "上火车以前". "从前" and "先前" have no such usage.