In today's video lesson we’ll learn about Time Words 以前 and 以后 and Topic-Comment Sentences in Chinese - 主题评论句. We'll also learn the second way to say to do something for how many times - Times of Action and to do something for how long - Duration of Actions.

Time Words 以前 and 以后
Topic-Comment Sentences in Chinese 主题评论句 (I). See also (II).
To do something for how many times - Times of Action (II). See also (I) and (III).
To do something for how long - Duration of Actions (II). See also (I).

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VOCABULARY

EXPRESSIONS

GRAMMAR

Grammar 1: Time Words 以前 and 以后 · HSK 3

以前 and 以后 are both Time Words, which means they are both Nouns. 以前 refers to "before the time point of 'now'”, and 以后 refers to "after the time point of 'now'”.

Both 以前 and 以后 can be used in three different ways:

by themselves
attached after a phrase
attached after a short sentence

(1) 以前 and 以后 used by themselves

For example,

wǒ yǐhòu xiǎng kǎo HSK kǎoshì
我以后想考HSK考试。
(In the) future I want to take (the) HSK test.
wǒ yǐqián zài fànguǎn sòng wàimài
我以前在饭馆送外卖。
(In the) past I delivered delivery food at (a) restaurant.

(2) 以前 and 以后 used attached after a phrase

For example,

mǎi diànnǎo yǐqián wǒ měitiān dōu kàn bàozhǐ
买电脑以前我每天都看报纸。
Before buying (a) computer I all (of) every day read newspaper.
zuò le zhèxiē tí yǐhòu wǒ kěyǐ kàn diànshì ma
做了这些题以后我可以看电视吗？
Can I watch TV after doing these questions?

(3) 以前 and 以后 used attached after a short sentence

For example,

wǒ rènshi tā yǐqián bù zhīdào tā shì nǐ péngyou
我认识他以前不知道他是你朋友。
I(,) before knowing him(,) (did) not know (that) he is your friend.
wǒ zhǔnbèi kǎoshì yǐhòu juéde nàxiē tí dōu hěn jiǎndān
我准备考试以后觉得那些题都很简单。
I(,) after preparing (for) the test(,) felt (that) those questions (are) all very easy.

Grammar 2: Topic-Comment Sentences in Chinese 主题评论句 · HSK 2

In Topic-Comment Sentences in Chinese 主题评论句 (zhǔtí pínglùn jù), a noun (Phrase) is put at the very beginning of the sentence, because it is the “Topic” that’s being discussed or talked about. And the rest will function as the “comment” about the Topic.

For example,

TOPIC	COMMENT
kǎoshì chéngjì 考试成绩 test score	wǒ hái bù zhīdào 我还不知道 I still (do) not know	。
zhège wèntí 这个问题 this question	wǒ bùnéng huídá 我不能回答 I cannot answer	。
HSK kǎoshì HSK考试 HSK test	nǐ zhǔnbèi le duōjiǔ 你准备了多久 how long (have) you prepared (for)	？
bàozhǐ 报纸 newspaper	nǐ gěi tā mǎi le ma 你给他买了吗 (did) you buy for him	？

Grammar 3: Times of Action (II) and Duration of Action (II) · HSK 2

Because we have Topic-Comment Sentences in Chinese 主题评论句, we can use this sentence structure to express Times of Action - to do something for how many times and Duration of Actions - to do something for how long.

(1) Times of Action (Topic Comment Sentences)

zhè bù diànyǐng wǒ kàn le sān cì le
这部电影我看了三次了。
This "bu" (of) movie(,) I watched (for) three times.
nà ge dìfang wǒ jīntiān qù le liǎng cì
那个地方我今天去了两次。
That place(,) I today went (for) two times.

(2) Duration of Action (Topic Comment Sentences)

zhèxiē tí wǒ zuò le sān shí fēnzhōng
这些题我做了三十分钟。
these questions(,) I did (for) 30 minutes.
zhè fèn bàozhǐ wǒ kàn le shí fēnzhōng
这份报纸我看了十分钟。
this copy (of) newspaper(,) I read (for) 10 minutes.