DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

在此之前

Mandarin · pinyin zài cǐ zhī qián

before that
beforehand
previously

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Characters in this entry

在: zài · be at, in, on; consist in, rest
此: cǐ · this, these; in this case, then
之: zhī · marks preceding phrase as modifier of following phrase; it, him her, them; go to
前: qián · in front, forward; preceding

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–3–1–2 · zai4 ci3 zhi1 qian2

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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