之前 (zhīqián) — Before in Mandarin
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#394 most common word
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
之前 is pronounced zhīqián. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
Wǒmen zhīqián jiàn guò miàn.
We have met before.
Hear it, then say it right
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 之前 mean?+
之前 (zhīqián) means "Before" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 之前?+
之前 is pronounced zhīqián. It uses the tone 1 (high flat), then the tone 2 (rising). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 之前 in Mandarin?+
之前 is the #394 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Words at a similar frequency
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Why some tones change in connected speech.
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