English–Chinese

“years ago” in Chinese

Chinese

Pronunciation

Pinyinnián qián

Example

三年前我去了日本。sān nián qián wǒ qù le rì běn

I went to Japan three years ago.

Illustration for 年前 (years ago)

How to say “years ago” in Chinese

“Years ago” in Chinese is 年前 (nián qián).

A marker that locates an earlier event by how far it lies behind the present in years.

Full entry for 年前: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 年前

十几年前我还住在这条街上。shí jǐ nián qián wǒ hái zhù zài zhè tiáo jiē shàng

Over ten years ago, I still lived on this street.

Tips for using 年前

  • The quantity before this word controls precision: a numeral gives a fixed interval, while a vague quantity leaves the length broad.

“years ago” in other languages