<p>三个月<strong>以前</strong>我开始了上瑜伽课</p>
<p>三个月<strong>前</strong>我开始了上瑜伽课</p>
<p>三个月<strong>之前</strong>我开始了上瑜伽课</p>
<p>these three sentences have the same meaning.</p>
<p>三个月以前我<strong>开始了上瑜伽课</strong> =&gt; 三个月以前我<strong>开始上瑜伽课了</strong> or 三个月以前我<strong>开始了瑜伽课</strong> is more fluent.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-25T10:15:22.537Z
2020-07-25T10:15:22.537Z
HungYu Chang
<p>I think 以前 can be used as a word on its own and only refers to some unspecified time in the past, whereas 前 needs an accompanying phrase like 几天/几年 and has meanings not always associated with time.</p>
<p>Three months ago I started yoga classes.<br />
我三个月前开始上瑜伽课。<br />
三个月前我开始上瑜伽课。<br />
Not so nice without a time:<br />
*前我开始上瑜伽课。</p>
<p>前几天我碰到你丈夫了。<br />
I ran into your hubby a few days ago.</p>
<p>以前我碰到过你丈夫。<br />
I met your hubby before.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-21T01:16:56.290Z
2020-07-21T01:16:56.290Z
Pedroski
<p>There isn't any essential difference between your two sentences.  前 or 以前 wouldn't affect the meaning.</p>
<p>However, the position of 了  can be improved.  E. g.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>三个月以前我开始上了瑜伽课</p>
<p>三个月前我开始上了瑜伽课</p>
</blockquote>
<p>or</p>
<blockquote>
<p>三个月以前我开始上瑜伽课了</p>
<p>三个月前我开始上瑜伽课了</p>
</blockquote>
<p>You can also put 三个月以前 in the middle(after the subject 我):</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我三个月以前开始上了瑜伽课。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>If you want to be more factual, you can put:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我三个月前开始上的瑜伽课。</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-21T01:18:18.933Z
What's that 的 doing in your last sentence?
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-21T02:29:21.623Z
@Pedroski I just noticed recently that this use of 的 is not recognized by many people.  In my example, you can take it as the 是. .. 的. ... structure with 是 being omitted. like 我是三个月前开始上的瑜伽课。
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-21T08:17:59.937Z
Why is it better to write 了 after 上 instead of after 开始? I thought the action that is completed is "to start [attending class]" but not "attending class", which still is currently happening.
Puco4
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-21T09:40:01.980Z
@Puco4 We take 开始xxx as a whole to mean "to start to do something".  E. g.  开始玩皮球。 We don't usually seperate it.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-20T22:40:05.993Z
2020-07-21T03:22:07.467Z
2020-07-21T03:22:07.467Z
dan
<p>I would say the more important difference is the one <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/q/1263/25265">between 以前 and 之前</a>。The difference between 以前 and 前 follows from it.</p>
<p>(Bonus 1: to do yoga is better rendered with 练瑜伽)</p>
<p>(Bonus 2: to me, the sentence sounds better with a modal 了, as 开始 semantics inherently convey a change. native speakers might expand on this)</p>
<p><strong>之前</strong> expresses anteriority in time <strong>relative to something else</strong>. It can be used when describing event sequences in a time different than the present. It can be translated in English with &quot;<em>earlier, prior to</em>&quot;.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>三个月之前我开始练瑜伽（了）</p>
<p>Three months earlier, I (had) started doing yoga (relative to another given time)</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>以前</strong> expresses anteriority <strong>relative to the present</strong>. It can be translated with &quot;<em>ago</em>&quot;.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>三个月以前我开始练瑜伽（了）</p>
<p>Three months ago, I started doing yoga (relative to the current time)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Though this distinction is quite faint. It's possible to find 之前 used just like 以前, and vice versa.</p>
<hr> 
<p>Now 前 alone could be an <strong>abbreviation of either of those</strong>, so its actual meaning is dependant on the context. Generally speaking, I would say there is no appreciable difference between 前 and 以前, except maybe that the former appears more frequently in writing.</p>
<p>A quick Google search:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><code>site: xinhua.net &quot;一个月前&quot;</code> yields ~7000 results</p>
<p><code>site: xinhua.net &quot;一个月以前&quot;</code> yields ~3000 results</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This is empirically true also for other combinations. Another example:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><code>site: xinhua.net &quot;一年前&quot;</code> yields ~65k results</p>
<p><code>site: xinhua.net &quot;一年以前&quot;</code> yields ~3300 results</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-20T20:09:07.997Z
But isn't the action of "started attending a yoga class" completed?
Puco4
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-20T20:13:55.317Z
in this sentence, the focus tends to be on the change/beginning of something, which is also inherent in the semantics of 开始, so the modal 了 (change) is more appropriate than the aspect 了 (completeness of an action).
blackgreen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-20T20:22:53.240Z
Ok! So both the aspect 了 and the modal 了 can be omitted? If we included the modal 了, it would just emphasize the change of state?
Puco4
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-20T20:28:57.093Z
I would say the sentence is passable without modal 了 and *should be* without aspect 了。Also, let me point out that "to do yoga" is 练瑜伽
blackgreen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-20T19:27:03.207Z
2020-07-20T20:31:55.583Z
2020-07-20T20:31:55.583Z
blackgreen
<p>I wanted to express in Mandarin:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Three months ago I started yoga classes.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I thought about whether to use 前 or 以前 to express &quot;ago&quot;:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>三个月<strong>以前</strong>我开始了上瑜伽课。</p>
<p>Sān gè yuè <strong>yǐqián</strong> wǒ kāishǐ le shàng yújiā kè.</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>三个月<strong>前</strong>我开始了上瑜伽课。</p>
<p>Sān gè yuè <strong>qián</strong> wǒ kāishǐ le shàng yújiā kè.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Is there a difference between both sentences? Is there a preference between 前 or 以前? If that is the case, what are the general rules behind?</p>

<word-choice><usage><difference>
Difference between 以前 and 前 to indicate past time?
# Difference between 以前 and 前 to indicate past time?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-07-20)

I wanted to express in Mandarin:

> Three months ago I started yoga classes.

I thought about whether to use 前 or 以前 to express "ago":

> 三个月**以前**我开始了上瑜伽课。
>
> Sān gè yuè **yǐqián** wǒ kāishǐ le shàng yújiā kè.

> 三个月**前**我开始了上瑜伽课。
>
> Sān gè yuè **qián** wǒ kāishǐ le shàng yújiā kè.

Is there a difference between both sentences? Is there a preference between 前 or 以前? If that is the case, what are the general rules behind?

**Tags:** word-choice, usage, difference

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-07-20. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

I would say the more important difference is the one [between 以前 and 之前](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/q/1263/25265)。The difference between 以前 and 前 follows from it.

(Bonus 1: to do yoga is better rendered with 练瑜伽)

(Bonus 2: to me, the sentence sounds better with a modal 了, as 开始 semantics inherently convey a change. native speakers might expand on this)

**之前** expresses anteriority in time **relative to something else**. It can be used when describing event sequences in a time different than the present. It can be translated in English with "*earlier, prior to*".

> 三个月之前我开始练瑜伽（了）
>
> Three months earlier, I (had) started doing yoga (relative to another given time)

**以前** expresses anteriority **relative to the present**. It can be translated with "*ago*".

> 三个月以前我开始练瑜伽（了）
>
> Three months ago, I started doing yoga (relative to the current time)

Though this distinction is quite faint. It's possible to find 之前 used just like 以前, and vice versa.

---

Now 前 alone could be an **abbreviation of either of those**, so its actual meaning is dependant on the context. Generally speaking, I would say there is no appreciable difference between 前 and 以前, except maybe that the former appears more frequently in writing.

A quick Google search:

> `site: xinhua.net "一个月前"` yields ~7000 results
>
> `site: xinhua.net "一个月以前"` yields ~3000 results

This is empirically true also for other combinations. Another example:

> `site: xinhua.net "一年前"` yields ~65k results
>
> `site: xinhua.net "一年以前"` yields ~3300 results

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: But isn't the action of "started attending a yoga class" completed?  
> **username_4**: in this sentence, the focus tends to be on the change/beginning of something, which is also inherent in the semantics of 开始, so the modal 了 (change) is more appropriate than the aspect 了 (completeness of an action).  
> **username_0**: Ok! So both the aspect 了 and the modal 了 can be omitted? If we included the modal 了, it would just emphasize the change of state?  
> **username_4**: I would say the sentence is passable without modal 了 and *should be* without aspect 了。Also, let me point out that "to do yoga" is 练瑜伽  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-07-25. Score: 1

三个月**以前**我开始了上瑜伽课

三个月**前**我开始了上瑜伽课

三个月**之前**我开始了上瑜伽课

these three sentences have the same meaning.

三个月以前我**开始了上瑜伽课** => 三个月以前我**开始上瑜伽课了** or 三个月以前我**开始了瑜伽课** is more fluent.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-07-21. Score: 1

I think 以前 can be used as a word on its own and only refers to some unspecified time in the past, whereas 前 needs an accompanying phrase like 几天/几年 and has meanings not always associated with time.

Three months ago I started yoga classes.  
我三个月前开始上瑜伽课。  
三个月前我开始上瑜伽课。  
Not so nice without a time:  
\*前我开始上瑜伽课。

前几天我碰到你丈夫了。  
I ran into your hubby a few days ago.

以前我碰到过你丈夫。  
I met your hubby before.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-07-20. Score: 1

There isn't any essential difference between your two sentences. 前 or 以前 wouldn't affect the meaning.

However, the position of 了 can be improved. E. g.

> 三个月以前我开始上了瑜伽课
>
> 三个月前我开始上了瑜伽课

or

> 三个月以前我开始上瑜伽课了
>
> 三个月前我开始上瑜伽课了

You can also put 三个月以前 in the middle(after the subject 我):

> 我三个月以前开始上了瑜伽课。

If you want to be more factual, you can put:

> 我三个月前开始上的瑜伽课。

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: What's that 的 doing in your last sentence?  
> **username_3**: @Pedroski I just noticed recently that this use of 的 is not recognized by many people.  In my example, you can take it as the 是. .. 的. ... structure with 是 being omitted. like 我是三个月前开始上的瑜伽课。  
> **username_0**: Why is it better to write 了 after 上 instead of after 开始? I thought the action that is completed is "to start [attending class]" but not "attending class", which still is currently happening.  
> **username_3**: @Puco4 We take 开始xxx as a whole to mean "to start to do something".  E. g.  开始玩皮球。 We don't usually seperate it.  

---

