Before and After in Chinese

In describing 2 activities/events that happen one after another, we usually use the words "before" and "after".

In English, we can say:
BEFORE something happen, we do something else first OR
We do something else first BEFORE some other things happen.

AFTER finish with an activity, we will do something else OR
We will do something else AFTER  we completed one activity.

Remember not to get confuse with the placement of "before" and "after" in the sentence.

BEFORE zhīqián  之前

Example:

Before sleep, I “first” brush my teeth

Sleep               shùijiào            睡觉

Brush teeth      shuā yá            刷牙

睡觉之前， 我先刷牙

Shuìjiào zhīqián, wǒ xiān shua yá

Before something happen (2^nd activity), we normally will do Something first (1^st Activity). When using the word “before”, it is often for us to use the word “xiān” that indicates that the subject has completed the activity that follows after the word. Xiān 先 literally means “at first”.

e.g.      she left first                 tā xiān zǒu            她先走

            I eat first                     tā xiān chī             我先吃

Let’s see another example:

My brother puts on his shoes before he goes to school.

1^st Activity: Puts on shoes                  chuān xiézi                  穿鞋子

2^nd Activity: Go to school                   shàng xué                    上学

上学之前， 我弟弟先穿鞋子

Shàng xué zhīqián, wǒ dìdi xiān chuān xiézi.

(Because, the subject that “perform” the 2 activities are the same person, we can also move the subject to the front, see the sentence below. However, the above is more commonly used. Avoid repeating it, because it will be redundant)

我弟弟上学之前， 先穿鞋子

Wǒ dìdi shàng xué zhīqián, xiān chuān xiézi.

AFTER  zhīhòu   之后

Example:

After I brush my teeth, I go to sleep.

刷牙之后， 我就睡觉了

Shuā yá zhīhòu, Wǒ jiù  shuìjiaò le

After putting his shoes on, my brother goes to school

穿鞋子之后，我弟弟就上学去了

Chuān xiézi zhīhòu, wo dìdi jiù shàng xué qù le.

Note: In this case, we add the word jiù… le to emphasize that the 2^nd activities (i.e sleep and go to school) happen RIGHT AFTER the first activities (i.e. brush teeth and putting shoes on).

Try translating the following:
1. Before I study in China, My Chinese is not too good.
(Hint: be careful of the placement of adverb of place)


2. After I move to London, I learn dancing.
(move = bān 搬，dance = tiàowǔ 跳舞)


3. My mother picks up my brother first before picking me up.
(pick up = jiē 接)


4. Before eating, she drinks a cup of water first.

5. After pick up the guests, I send them to the hotel.

(guest = kèrén 客人, send (someone) = sòng 送)

6. I borrow her notes, after she finish writing.
(borrow = jiè 借, notes = bǐjì 笔记)

Happy Learning!  

I am signing off first

我先告退
Wǒ xiān gàotuì,
Linda Tan