ChinesePod

1 to think (i.e. to take it to be true that ...) (Usually there is an implication that the notion is mistaken – except when expressing one's own current opinion.)

前

qián

1 front
2 forward
3 ahead
4 first
5 top (followed by a number)
6 future
7 ago
8 before
9 BC (e.g. 前293年)
10 former
11 formerly

Idioms (20)

一则以喜，一则以忧

yī zé yǐ xǐ , yī zé yǐ yōu

1 happy on the one hand, but worried on the other (idiom)

一往无前

yī wǎng wú qián

1 to advance courageously (idiom)
2 to press forward

一言以蔽之

yī yán yǐ bì zhī

1 one word says it all (idiom, from Analects); to cut a long story short
2 in a nutshell

不以人废言

bù yǐ rén fèi yán

1 not to reject a word because of the speaker (idiom, from Analects); to judge on the merits of the case rather than preference between advisers

不以为然

bù yǐ wéi rán

1 not to accept as correct (idiom); to object
2 to disapprove
3 to take exception to

Sample Sentences

古迹之所以可以放这么久，就是因为以前的建筑质量好，不但材料优质，建筑技术也巧妙。

gǔjì zhīsuǒyǐ kěyǐ fàng zhème jiǔ ，jiùshì yīnwèi yǐqián de jiànzhù zhìliàng hǎo ，bùdàn cáiliào yōuzhì ，jiànzhù jìshù yě qiǎomiào 。

The reason why the monuments can be kept for so long is because the previous buildings are of good quality, not only the materials are high-quality, but the construction techniques are also ingenious.

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我以前很想读音乐，但是我父母不让我读音乐，让我去读医科呢!这就是牛不喝水强按头

wǒ yǐqián hěn xiǎng dú yīnyuè ，dànshì wǒ fùmǔ bù ràng wǒ dú yīnyuè ，ràng wǒ qù dú yīkē ne !zhè jiùshì niúbùhēshuǐqiǎngàntóu

I used to want to study music so much, but my parents didn't let me to. They wanted me to study medicine. This is just like forcing a bull to drink water.

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签约以前必须要看清楚每个条款的内容。

qiānyuē yǐqián bìxū yào kàn qīngchu měi ge tiáokuǎn de nèiróng 。

You must look through all the content of the clauses before signing a contract.

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见到我以前的老朋友，我真的是十分惊喜。十年过去了，但他的模样却一点儿也没变。

jiàndào wǒ yǐqián de lǎopéngyou ，wǒ zhēnde shì shífēn jīngxǐ 。shí nián guòqù le ，dàn tā de múyàng què yīdiǎnr yě méi biàn 。

I was really surprised to see my old friend. Ten years have passed, but his appearance has not changed a bit.

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见到我以前的朋友，我真的是又惊又喜。

jiàndào wǒ yǐqián de péngyou ，wǒ zhēnde shì yòu jīng yòu xǐ 。

I was really surprised and glad to see an old friend.

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以前我读书的时候，大家都不喜欢举手问问题，因为他们觉得问问题的人是在出风头。

yǐqián wǒ dúshū de shíhou ，dàjiā dōu bù xǐhuan jǔshǒu wèn wèntí ，yīnwèi tāmen juéde wèn wèntí de rén shì zài chūfēngtou 。

When I was a student, people didn't like to raise their hands to ask questions during the class because they would think the person asking questions is showing off.

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以前在学校读书的时候，特别是在考试之前，一定有一位同学总是说：“这次考试好简单呀！不用读、不用读。”

yǐqián zài xuéxiào dúshū de shíhou ，tèbié shì zài kǎoshì zhīqián ，yīdìng yǒu yī wèi tóngxué zǒngshì shuō ：“zhè cì kǎoshì hǎo jiǎndān ya ！bùyòng dú 、bùyòng dú 。”

Back when I was studying at school, especially before exams, there was always one classmate who would say, ‘The test will be so easy this time! I won’t have to study.’

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在以前的中国农村社会中，古人都有很多的常识，比如说他们知道太阳什么时候升起、知道怎么种稻、知道风什么时候开始吹。

zài yǐqián de Zhōngguó nóngcūn shèhuì zhōng ，gǔrén dōu yǒu hěnduō de chángshí ，bǐrú shuō tāmen zhīdào tàiyang shénme shíhou shēngqǐ 、zhīdào zěnme zhòng dào 、zhīdào fēng shénme shíhou kāishǐ chuī 。

In Chinese rural societies in the past, the ancients had a lot of common sense. They know, for example, when the sun rises, how to grow rice, or even when the wind blows.

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在以前的公司，有一个同事，他刚进公司的时候，就对我们大小声。

zài yǐqián de gōngsī ，yǒu yīgè tóngshì ，tā gāng jìn gōngsī de shíhou ，jiù duì wǒmen dàxiǎoshēng 。

I had a colleague in my previous company. Though he just joined the company, he raised his voice at us.

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在以前的中国工作文化里面，人一离开了公司，就不会再回到公司工作了。

zài yǐqián de Zhōngguó gōngzuò wénhuà lǐmiàn ，rén yī líkāi le gōngsī ，jiù bùhuì zài huídào gōngsī gōngzuò le 。

In the old Chinese working culture, once people left the company, they wouldn’t go back to the company and work again.

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