296 Routledge Course in Modern Mandarin Chinese Level 1
d. 看 shEshu Ayí (help my younger brother study Chinese) →
English:
e. shuì jiào (write Chinese characters) →
English:
f. 去 shì 中 xCn 看電 yHng (go home and eat dinner) →
English:
- After this, before that (Use and Structure notes 14.3, 15.9)
These sentences use the word 以後 after to say “after situation 1 happens, situation 2
happens.”
■ (^) Rewrite them with 以前 before to say “before situation 2 happens, situation 1 happens,” as
in the example.
■ (^) Translate your new sentence to English.
Example:
我們 zhào zhàopiàn 以後就吃飯。 → 我們吃飯以前（先） zhào zhàopiàn。
Before we eat, let’s take a picture.
a. 你上車以後買 piào。 →
English:
b. 我 xH zFo 以後吃早飯。 →
English:
c. 我 mGi 天上 wFng 以後 shuì jiào。 →
English:
d. 我們吃飯以後 hB chá。 →
English:
e. 我 mGi 天吃 wJ 飯以後在公園走路。 →
English:
- More practice with 以前 (Use and Structure note 15.9)
Translate these sentences to English.
a. 你去中國以前 yCnggAi 先學一點中文。
b. 吃中國飯以前 yCnggAi liànxí yòng kuài 子。
c. 過馬路以前你得先看看有沒有車。