How to say “in the past” in Chinese
in the past, once
“In the past” in Chinese is 从前, cóng qián: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
从前 is read cóng qián: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
Two people 人 walking one behind the other.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “从前”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 从前. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 他从前很胖，现在瘦多了。tācóngqiánhěnpàng,xiànzàishòuduōleHe used to be heavy, and now he's much thinner.
- 从前这里是一片草地，如今有了很多高楼。cóngqiánzhèlǐshìyípiàncǎodì,rújīnyǒulehěnduōgāolóuThis used to be a meadow; now there are lots of tall buildings.
More words from the lesson “Once, in the past”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “in the past” in Chinese?
“In the past” in Chinese is 从前, pinyin cóngqián.
What does 从前 mean?
从前 (cóngqián) means “in the past, once”.
How do you write 从前?
从前 is 2 characters: 从 (cóng) — from; follow; 前 (qián) — front, ahead. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 从前?
从前 is read cóngqián. Tones: cóng — second tone, qián — second tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“in the past” in the lesson “Once, in the past”
This word is from the topic “Time: when and how long” of HSK 5. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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