Chinese word

从前

Pronunciation

Pinyincóng qián

Meaning

  • adverbin the past

Example

从前我住在北京。cóng qián wǒ zhù zài běi jīng

In the past, I lived in Beijing.

Illustration for 从前 (in the past)

More examples

从前有一个小村子。cóng qián yǒu yí gè xiǎo cūn zi

Long ago, there was a small village.

Core concept

A backward-looking time marker that places an event in an earlier period, often with a narrative sense of remembered days.

Common phrases

  • 从前有cóng qián yǒu

    there used to be

  • 从前住在cóng qián zhù zài

    used to live

Similar words

以前yǐ qián: At a time before now, referring to an earlier point or period.
曾经céng jīng: Once or at some time in the past, showing that something was true or happened.

Definition in Chinese

用来引出对过去事情的叙述，多用于口语或讲故事的开头，含有回忆或叙述性回顾的意味。yòng lái yǐn chū duì guò qù shì qíng de xù shù duō yòng yú kóu yǔ huò jiǎng gù shì de kāi tóu hán yǒu huí yì huò xù shù xìng huí gù de yì wèi

Word origin

从 (cóng, "from") + 前 (qián, "before") combines into the idea of time from before the present, giving the word its reference to an earlier period.

Usage tips

  • For everyday conversation, this word can introduce a personal memory as well as a traditional tale, so it is not limited to fairy tales.

Other meanings

  • long agoadverb
  • formerlyadverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word