dàqiántiān: 大前天 - Three Days Ago
Quick Summary
Keywords: 大前天, daqian tian, three days ago in Chinese, Chinese time words, day before yesterday in Chinese, da qian tian, Mandarin time words, learn Chinese time, 前天, 昨天
Summary: Discover the meaning of 大前天 (dàqiántiān), the common and natural way to say “three days ago” in Mandarin Chinese. This entry breaks down this essential time word, explaining its logical character-by-character construction and how it fits into the system of Chinese relative time expressions. Learn how to use it in everyday conversation with practical examples, and understand its nuances compared to other phrases like 前天 (qiántiān) and 三天前 (sān tiān qián).
Core Meaning
Pinyin (with tone marks): dàqiántiān
Part of Speech: Time Noun / Adverb
HSK Level: HSK 3
Concise Definition: The day before the day before yesterday; three days ago.
In a Nutshell: 大前天 is the standard, everyday Chinese word for the specific day that was three days before today. While in English we count back (“three days ago”), Chinese gives this day its own unique name. It's built logically upon the word for “the day before yesterday,” 前天 (qiántiān), creating a system of time words that are all relative to the present moment.
Character Breakdown
大 (dà): Meaning “big,” “great,” or “large.” In this context, it functions like an amplifier, indicating a step further away in time. Think of it as the “great” or “grand” version of the following time word.
前 (qián): Meaning “before,” “front,” or “forward.” In time-related words, it signifies the past or something that came before the present.
天 (tiān): Meaning “day” or “sky.” Here, it specifically means “day.”
When combined, 前天 (qiántiān) literally means “before day,” which we understand as “the day before yesterday.” By adding 大 (dà) in front, you create 大前天 (dàqiántiān), or the “big day-before-yesterday,” which pushes the timeframe back one more day to mean “three days ago.” This logical structure is also mirrored for future days with 大后天 (dàhòutiān).
Cultural Context and Significance
The existence of a specific word like 大前天 highlights a subtle but important aspect of the Chinese conceptualization of time. In English, we tend to use a numerical, calculated system for days in the past or future (e.g., “three days ago,” “four days ago”). This is a very flexible but abstract system.
Chinese, in contrast, often uses a system of specific, named days that are relative to the present (今天, jīntiān). This system includes:
This creates a “local time” system centered on the speaker's “now.” While you can use a specific date (like 8月5号, August 5th), in conversation it's often more natural to use these relative terms. This approach emphasizes the relationship of events to the present moment, anchoring the conversation in the immediate, shared experience of time. It's less about abstract calculation and more about relational position to “today.”
Practical Usage in Modern China
大前天 is an extremely common word used in daily, informal conversations. It functions as a time adverb and is typically placed in one of two positions:
1. At the beginning of the sentence (most common): This sets the time frame for the entire statement.
2. After the subject: This also sets the time but places slightly more emphasis on the subject.
It is considered informal and is perfect for talking to friends, family, and colleagues about recent events. In highly formal or written contexts, such as a legal document or a historical record, a specific date (e.g., 2023年10月26日) would be used instead to avoid ambiguity.
Example Sentences
Example 1:
我 大前天 到的上海。
Pinyin: Wǒ dàqiántiān dào de Shànghǎi.
English: I arrived in Shanghai three days ago.
Analysis: A simple, common sentence structure using the `是…的 (shì…de)` pattern (with 是 omitted) to emphasize the time of a past action.
Example 2:
大前天 的会议你参加了吗？
Pinyin: Dàqiántiān de huìyì nǐ cānjiā le ma?
English: Did you attend the meeting from three days ago?
Analysis: Here, 大前天 acts as an adjective modifying “meeting” (会议) with the help of the particle 的 (de).
Example 3:
他 大前天 晚上给我打了一个电话。
Pinyin: Tā dàqiántiān wǎnshang gěi wǒ dǎ le yí ge diànhuà.
English: He gave me a call on the evening of three days ago.
Analysis: This shows how you can combine 大前天 with other time words like 晚上 (wǎnshang - evening) for more specificity.
Example 4:
我们 大前天 才把这个问题解决。
Pinyin: Wǒmen dàqiántiān cái bǎ zhège wèntí jiějué.
English: We only managed to solve this problem three days ago.
Analysis: The word 才 (cái) adds a sense of “not until,” emphasizing that the action happened later than expected.
Example 5:
你还记得 大前天 我们吃了什么吗？
Pinyin: Nǐ hái jìde dàqiántiān wǒmen chī le shénme ma?
English: Do you still remember what we ate three days ago?
Analysis: A typical question used to recall a recent past event.
Example 6:
这件衣服是 大前天 打折的时候买的。
Pinyin: Zhè jiàn yīfu shì dàqiántiān dǎzhé de shíhou mǎi de.
English: This piece of clothing was bought when it was on sale three days ago.
Analysis: This sentence uses `的时候 (de shíhou)` to mean “when,” linking the action of buying to the time frame of the sale.
Example 7:
大前天 天气特别好，不冷也不热。
Pinyin: Dàqiántiān tiānqì tèbié hǎo, bù lěng yě bù rè.
English: The weather three days ago was particularly good, not cold and not hot.
Analysis: A simple descriptive sentence about a past state.
Example 8:
他看起来很累，因为他 大前天 一晚上没睡。
Pinyin: Tā kànqǐlái hěn lèi, yīnwèi tā dàqiántiān yì wǎnshang méi shuì.
English: He looks very tired because he didn't sleep at all for the entire night three days ago.
Analysis: This sentence shows cause and effect, with 大前天 establishing the time of the cause.
Example 9:
我的钱包是 大前天 丢的，不是昨天。
Pinyin: Wǒ de qiánbāo shì dàqiántiān diū de, búshì zuótiān.
English: My wallet was lost three days ago, not yesterday.
Analysis: A useful structure for clarifying or correcting information about time.
Example 10:
我 大前天 就跟你说过这件事了，你怎么忘了？
Pinyin: Wǒ dàqiántiān jiù gēn nǐ shuō guo zhè jiàn shì le, nǐ zěnme wàng le?
English: I told you about this matter three days ago, how could you forget?
Analysis: The word 就 (jiù) adds emphasis, implying “as early as” three days ago. This can express a slight hint of impatience.
Nuances and Common Mistakes
Confusing with 前天 (qiántiān): This is the most common pitfall for learners. Always remember the order:
昨天 (zuótiān) = 1 day ago (yesterday)
前天 (qiántiān) = 2 days ago (the day before yesterday)
大前天 (dàqiántiān) = 3 days ago
Using 三天前 (sān tiān qián) instead: While “三天前” (sān tiān qián) literally means “three days before” and is grammatically correct, 大前天 is the far more common and natural-sounding choice in everyday speech.
When to use 大前天: Use it as the default for “three days ago” in conversation. `我大前天看到他了。` (I saw him three days ago.)
When to use 三天前: Use it when you are calculating from a point in time that is not today, or when you are referring to a duration. For example: `他告诉我要在会议的三天前把报告交上去。` (He told me to submit the report three days before the meeting.) In this case, 大前天 would be incorrect.
Incorrect Extension: Do not try to invent “大大前天” for “four days ago.” While some native speakers might say this jokingly, the standard and clear way to express this is 四天前 (sì tiān qián). The special names generally stop at 大前天.