bānjiā yǐqián xiě qīngdān, yǐmiǎn wàngjì dōngxi.

to write

Breakdown of bānjiā yǐqián xiě qīngdān, yǐmiǎn wàngjì dōngxi.

• 以前yǐqián: before
• 忘记wàngjì: to forget
• 东西dōngxi: thing

Questions & Answers about bānjiā yǐqián xiě qīngdān, yǐmiǎn wàngjì dōngxi.

Why is there no subject in this sentence?

Mandarin often leaves out the subject when it is obvious from context. Here, the sentence sounds like a general instruction or reminder:

(You should) write a checklist before moving, so you don't forget things.

You could add 你 if you wanted, but it is not necessary.

How does 搬家以前 work grammatically?

以前 means before, and in Chinese it comes after the event it refers to.

So:

• 搬家 = to move house
• 搬家以前 = before moving house

The whole phrase functions as a time expression, and it comes before the main action 写清单.

Can I also say 搬家前 instead of 搬家以前?

Yes. 搬家前 and 搬家以前 are both natural.

• 搬家前 = shorter and very common
• 搬家以前 = a little fuller or more explicit

In everyday speech, many people would probably say 搬家前写清单.

Why is it 写清单 and not 写一个清单?