以前 and 以后: before and after

以前 is “before, earlier”, 以后 is “after, later”. They come after the word or action: 下课以后 “after class”, 睡觉以前 “before bed”. On their own: 我们以前是同学 “in the past”.

Examples

• 我们以前是同学。 Wǒmen yǐqián shì tóngxué. We used to be classmates.
• 睡觉以前，我看一会儿书。 Shuìjiào yǐqián, wǒ kàn yíhuìr shū. Before bed, I read for a while.
• 下课以后，我们去吃饭吧。 Xiàkè yǐhòu, wǒmen qù chīfàn ba. After class, let's go eat.

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