曾几何时

曾幾何時
céngjǐ-héshí
idiom #20,948

Meanings

  1. 1 not long ago
  2. 2 just a while back
  3. 3 it wasn't so long ago that...
  4. 4 how quickly time has passed

Examples

HSK 6
Céngjǐ-héshí, zhèlǐ háishì yī piàn nóngtián.
Not so long ago, this was all farmland.
HSK 7-9
Céngjǐ-héshí, wǒmen yě shì wúyōu-wúlǜ de háizi.
There was a time, not so long ago, when we too were carefree children.

Tips

usage
曾几何时 is a literary idiom used to evoke nostalgia or to contrast a past state with the present. It implies that the time was not so long ago but change has been significant. Common in essays, speeches, and reflective writing.

Stroke Order

曾 céng
几 jǐ
何 hé
时 shí