以 前 yǐ qián before / formerly / previous / ago 之 前 zhī qián before / prior to / ago / previously / beforehand 前 些 qián xiē a few (days, years etc) ago 距 今 jù jīn before the present / (a long period) ago 前 qián front / forward / ahead / first / top (followed by a number) / future / ago / before / BC (e.g. 前293年) / former / formerly 刚 刚 gāng gang just recently / just a moment ago 刚 才 gāng cái (just) a moment ago 早 已 zǎo yǐ long ago / for a long time 日 前 rì qián the other day / a few days ago 长 期 以 来 cháng qī yǐ lái ever since a long time ago 不 久 前 bù jiǔ qián not long ago 前 不 久 qián bù jiǔ not long ago / not long before 适 才 shì cái just now / a moment ago 曾 几 何 时 céng jǐ hé shí just a while before / not so long ago / everyone can remember when.. 悠 远 yōu yuǎn long time ago / distant / far away 老 早 lǎo zǎo a long time ago 隔 世 gé shì separated by a generation / a lifetime ago 久 已 jiǔ yǐ long ago / a long time since 将 jiāng will / shall / to use / to take / to checkmate / just a short while ago / (introduces object of main verb, used in the same way as 把[ba3]) 才 cái a moment ago / just now / (indicating sth happening later than expected) / (preceded by a clause of condition or reason) not until / (followed by a numerical clause) only 中 生 代 Zhōng shēng dài Mesozoic (geological era 250-65m years ago, covering Triassic 三疊紀|三叠纪, Jurassic 侏羅紀|侏罗纪 / and Cretaceous 白堊紀|白垩纪) 大 前 天 dà qián tiān three days ago 早 zǎo early / morning / Good morning! / long ago / prematurely 古 生 代 Gǔ shēng dài Paleozoic, geological era 545-250m years ago, covering Cambrian 寒武紀|寒武纪, Ordovician 奧陶紀|奥陶纪, Silurian 志留紀|志留纪, Devonian 泥盆紀|泥盆纪, Carboniferous 石炭紀|石炭纪, Permian 二疊紀|二叠纪 顷 qǐng unit of area equal to 100 畝|亩[mu3] or 6.67 hectares / a short while / a little while ago / circa. (for approximate dates) 恍 如 隔 世 huǎng rú gé shì like a thing of the previous generation / as if it were a lifetime ago 只 不 过 几 年 前 zhǐ bù guò jǐ nián qián only a few years ago / just a few years ago 前 寒 武 纪 qián hán wǔ jì pre-Cambrian, geological period before c. 540m years ago 千 年 前 qiān nián qián a thousand years ago 宿 草 sù cǎo grass that has grown on a grave since last year / (fig.) grave / to have died long ago / fodder provided to animals for the night 更 新 世 Gēng xīn shì Pleistocene (geological epoch from 2m years ago, covering the most recent ice ages) 才 然 cái rán just recently / just a moment ago / just now 万 年 前 wàn nián qián ten thousand years ago 顷 者 qǐng zhě just now / a short while ago 显 生 代 Xiǎn shēng dài Phanerozoic, geological eon lasting since the Cambrian 寒武紀|寒武纪[Han2 wu3 ji4], c. 540m year ago 显 生 宙 Xiǎn shēng zhòu Phanerozoic, geological eon lasting since the Cambrian 寒武紀|寒武纪[Han2 wu3 ji4], c. 540m year ago 五 百 年 前 是 一 家 wǔ bǎi nián qián shì yī jiā five hundred years ago we were the same family (idiom) (said of persons with the same surname) 大 前 年 dà qián nián three years ago 打 早 dǎ zǎo earlier / long ago / as soon as possible