Before this / after this / in the meantime (此前/此后/此间)

Structure …（narrated fact）。此前 / 此后 / 此间 + …（what came before / after / what happened in between）

The three are journalistic temporal deictics anchored to an already-narrated fact, using the literary 此 ("this") as the reference point. 此前 (cǐqián) = "before this, until then"; 此后 (cǐhòu) = "after this, from then on"; 此间 (cǐjiān) = "in this interval, meanwhile" (sometimes also "around here, in these parts"). They are the written, formal counterpart of 在这之前 / 在这之后 / 这期间. They string the narrative together without repeating the date or event already mentioned.

Examples

协xié议yì于yú昨zuó日rì签qiān署shǔ，此cǐ前qián双shuāng方fāng已yǐ进jìn行xíng多duō轮lún磋cuō商shāng。
The agreement was signed yesterday; before this, the two sides had held several rounds of talks.
政zhèng策cè于yú今jīn年nián初chū出chū台tái，此cǐ后hòu市shì场chǎng逐zhú渐jiàn回huí暖nuǎn。
The policy was rolled out early this year; after this, the market gradually warmed up.
代dài表biǎo团tuán上shàng周zhōu抵dǐ达dá，此cǐ间jiān举jǔ行xíng了le多duō场chǎng会huì谈tán。
The delegation arrived last week; in the meantime, several meetings have been held.

This point and the other 370, with audio on every example, inside Wanyu.

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