以前 — Marks a point in time and looks back from it: standing alone it means before now (in the past); placed after an event it means before that event.

grammar → 以前

TSUMUGU · TBCL 2 (est.) · 語法

以前 grammar point · tier 1 · 以前 before / previously (look back from a point in time)

Marks a point in time and looks back from it: standing alone it means before now (in the past); placed after an event it means before that event.

字源 FORM what the parts do

前 is a foot on a boat: the man holds still and the bank slides back, so forward in space reads as earlier in time. 以 is the quiet anchor that fixes the point you measure from; whatever event sits in front of 以前 becomes that point.

故事 STORY a scene to remember it by

He stands at the bow and looks back at the water already crossed; everything behind the boat happened before this point.

字源記憶法

框 · Frame

以前 [clause] • [event]以前 [main clause]

觸 · Trigger

You want to place something earlier than now, or earlier than a named event.

序 · The move

1decide the anchor: now, or a specific eventis the point you measure back from clear?

2if it is an event, name the event first, then 以前 after itdoes 以前 trail the event, not lead it?

3if the anchor is now, 以前 stands alone before the clausedoes 以前 mean before this moment?

例 · Examples

1他睡覺to sleep以前before (this event)看書to read。

He reads before going to sleep.

界 · Boundary

以後

以前 looks back from the anchor to what is earlier; 以後 looks forward from it to what is later. The water already crossed behind the boat is 以前; the water still ahead, not yet reached, is 以後.

以前他睡覺看書 → 他睡覺以前看書

以前睡覺看書 (event marked before 以前) → 睡覺以前看書

他看書以前睡覺 (anchor and event swapped) → 他睡覺以前看書

English puts before in front of the event (before sleeping); Chinese puts 以前 after the event (睡覺以前). The clause comes first, the marker trails it.