Breakdown of fēngxiāng yǐqián xiě biāoqiān, yǐmiǎn ná cuò.
写xiě
to write
以前yǐqián
before
拿ná
to carry
错cuò
wrong; incorrect
Questions & Answers about fēngxiāng yǐqián xiě biāoqiān, yǐmiǎn ná cuò.
Why is 以前 placed after 封箱?
In Chinese, 以前 often comes after a word or phrase to mean before that / before doing that.
So:
- 封箱以前 = before sealing the box
- literally: seal-box before
This is a very common pattern:
- 吃饭以前 = before eating
- 睡觉以前 = before sleeping
- 出门以前 = before going out
So here, 封箱以前写标签 means write the labels before sealing the box.
Is 封箱以前 a full clause, or just a time phrase?
It is functioning as a time phrase.
- 封箱 = sealing the box / closing up the box
- 以前 = before
Together, 封箱以前 sets the time for the main action:
- 封箱以前，写标签
= Before sealing the box, write the labels
Chinese often uses this kind of phrase at the beginning of a sentence to give the time context first.
Why is there no subject like 你 or 我们?