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曾经

曾經
céngjīng
adverb HSK 3 #583

Meanings

  1. 1 once; ever; formerly
  2. 2 at one time in the past

Examples

我曾经去过中国。
Wǒ céngjīng qù guo Zhōngguó.
I have been to China before.
他曾经是一名老师。
Tā céngjīng shì yì míng lǎoshī.
He was once a teacher.
我曾经以为自己不行。
Wǒ céngjīng yǐwéi zìjǐ bù xíng.
I once thought I couldn't do it.
这里曾经是一片森林。
Zhèlǐ céngjīng shì yí piàn sēnlín.
This used to be a forest.

Tips

grammar
曾经 often pairs with 过: 曾经 + verb + 过. The 过 reinforces the sense of past experience. 曾经去过 = once went / have been to.
usage
曾经 vs 以前: 曾经 emphasizes that something happened at some point in the past (experiential). 以前 simply means 'before/previously' (temporal).

In Pop Culture

曾经沧海难为水 Céngjīng cānghǎi nán wéi shuǐ
Having seen the vast ocean, no other water compares
Tang poem line: once you've seen the ocean, nothing compares

Stroke Order

曾 céng
经 jīng