Translation

• to come (formal)
• before
• previously

Examples

• 最晚十点前来这里。
  Come here by ten at the latest.
• “胡同” 那个本来表示“水井”意思的词是七百年前来自蒙古语的。
  The term "hutong", originally meaning "water well", came from the Mongolian language about 700 years ago.