Answer to The Secret Behind Telling Time with “前(qián) before”

Answer: C

When using “a period of time+前(qián),” for example, “1个月前(yí gè yuè qián),” it means that the time the speaker is taking about is one month prior to when they are speaking, the translation would be “one month ago.” It automatically tells the listener that the event has already happened and is in past tense.

Wǒ sānnián qián bìyè de.
我     3年      前   毕业 的。
I graduated three years ago.

Tā bànnián qián jiù cízhí le.
他  半年       前  就 辞职了。
He resigned half a year ago.

When using “前(qián)+ a period of time,” for example “前1个月(qián yí gè yuè),” it refers to a period of time that contains one month and here the translation would be “the first month.” It can express an event in the past or a time in the future.

Tā yòng wǔnián de shíjiān xiě le yìběn xiǎoshuō, qián sānnián sōují zīliào, hòu liǎngnián xiězuò.
他  用      5年     的  时间  写 了 一本   小说，     前     3 年      搜集 资料，后   2 年        写作。
He used five years worth of time to write a novel, the first three years he gathered material, and the later 2 years he wrote it.

Wǒ yào chūguó wǔnián. Qián sānnián qù měiguó, hòu liǎngnián qù jiānádà.
我   要    出国     5年。    前      3 年     去   美国,     后    2 年        去  加拿大。
I will go abroad for five years. I will go to America for the first three years, and then go to Canada for the next two years.

Wǒ shàngzhōu qù lǚyóu le, qián sāntiān qù le Guìlín, ránhòu qù le Zhāngjiājiè.
我    上周         去  旅游  了，前   3 天   去 了 桂林，然后    去 了  张家界。
Last week I went traveling, the first 3 days I went to Guilin, and then I went to Zhangjiajie prefecture.

Telling Time in Mandarin
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