before ⇒ 项目结束之前,每个人压力都很大。 Xiàngmù jiéshù zhīqián, měigè rén yālì dōu hěn dà. → Before finishing the project, everyone was very stressed.

( 过去 ) past ⇒ 希望你比从前快乐。 Xīwàng nǐ bǐ cóngqián kuàilè. → I hope you are happier than you were before.

⇒ 10年以前 shí nián yǐqián → ten years ago ⇒ 10年以前，这里还是一片废墟。 Shí nián yǐqián, zhèlǐ háishì yī piàn fèixū. → Ten years ago this was still a complete ruin. ⇒ 她以前是老师。 Tā yǐqián shì lǎoshī. → She was a teacher before.

the past

predecessor

omen

( 指排、列 ) front row

forward

( 时间接近 ) ⇒ 春节前后 chūnjié qiánhòu → around the time of the Spring Festival ⇒ 暑假前后 shǔjià qiánhòu → summer holiday time

eve ⇒ 圣诞节前夕 shèngdànjié qiánxī → Christmas Eve

the day before yesterday

front

( 音 ) prelude

the year before last

be bound for

precondition

( 前面 ) front

prospects pl

front line

criminal record

future

front line

( 语言 ) prefix

foreword

previous existence ⇒ 这所大学的前身是一所女子师范学校。 Zhè suǒ dàxué de qiánshēn shì yī suǒ nǚzǐ shīfàn xuéxiào. → In a previous existence, this university was a ladies' teaching college.

older generation

( 向前走 ) advance

future

( 体育 ) forward

in front

pioneer

prehistory ⇒ 史前文明 shǐqián wénmíng → prehistoric civilization

be faced with

bring ... forward ( pt , pp brought )

present ⇒ 到目前为止 dào mùqián wéizhǐ → to date ⇒ 我们目前的任务 wǒmen mùqián de rènwù → our current tasks ⇒ 目前,全国经济形势很好。 Mùqián, quánguó jīngjì xíngshì hěn hǎo. → At present the country's economic situation is very good. ⇒ 我们目前的任务是什么？ Wǒmen mùqián de rènwù shì shénme? → What are our current duties? ⇒ 到目前为止,公司已出售两万台电脑。 Dào mùqián wéizhǐ, gōngsī yǐ chūshòu liǎng wàn tái diànnǎo. → To date the company has sold 20,000 computers.

unprecedented

⇒ 他走到我跟前耳语了几句。 Tā zǒudào wǒ gēnqián ěryǔle jǐjù. → He came close and whispered a few words. ⇒ 有只猫蹲在窗户跟前。 Yǒu zhī māo dūnzài chuānghu gēnqián. → There's a cat sitting at the window.

⇒ 在困难面前 zài kùnnan miànqián → in the face of difficulties ⇒ 当他出现在我面前时,我又惊又喜。 Dāng tā chūxiàn zài wǒ miànqián shí, wǒ yòu jīng yòu xǐ. → When he appeared in front of me, I was surprised and pleased. ⇒ 在困难面前,他们没有低头。 Zài kùnnan miànqián, tāmen méiyǒu dītóu. → They never admitted defeat in the face of difficulties.

a waste of effort

carry on bravely

unprecedented

go one's own way

come out among the top ⇒ 他在期末考试中名列前茅。 Tā zài qīmò kǎoshì zhōng míng liè qiánmáo. → He came out among the top candidates in the end-of-term exams.

learn from the past

make a clean break with the past

be indecisive ⇒ 他做事总是瞻前顾后。 Tā zuò shì zǒngshì zhān qián gù hòu. → Whatever he does he's always indecisive about it.

unmatched ⇒ 恺撒大帝被称为罗马历史上空前绝后的军事领袖。 Kǎisā dàdì bèi chēnwéi Luómǎ lìshǐ shang kōng qián jué hòu de jūnshì lǐngxiù. → Julius Caesar has been called the most unmatched military general in Roman history.

drag one's feet