以前...现在...
Reach for 以前...现在... when you want to contrast 'before' with 'now' — how something used to be versus how it is today. It's the everyday Chinese way to describe change over time, whether you're talking about a city, a habit, a relationship, or a piece of technology. Both halves typically have full clauses, separated by a comma. Either half can come first, but 以前 → 现在 is the most common order because it sets the baseline before announcing the change.
Structure
以前 [PAST SITUATION]，现在 [CURRENT SITUATION]
yǐqián... xiànzài...
How to Think About It
以前 and 现在 are time-anchors at the FRONT of each clause, not free-floating adverbs. They set a 'then' / 'now' frame around two complete sentences and let the contrast do the work — no extra conjunctions needed. The two clauses should be about the same subject or topic so the change is clear. If you're not contrasting, just stating a sequence of events, you want a different pattern (like 先...然后...).
Examples
以前这里是田，现在是高楼。
Yǐqián zhèlǐ shì tián, xiànzài shì gāolóu.
This used to be farmland; now it's high-rises.
以前我不喜欢咖啡，现在每天都喝。
Yǐqián wǒ bù xǐhuan kāfēi, xiànzài měitiān dōu hē.
I used to dislike coffee; now I drink it every day.
以前他很瘦，现在胖了一点。
Yǐqián tā hěn shòu, xiànzài pàng le yìdiǎn.
He used to be thin; now he's put on a little weight.
Common Mistake
Learners drop a 了 or other marker on the 以前 clause to mark past tense, copying English 'I used to watch.' In Chinese 以前 already sets the time frame, so adding 了 inside a habitual past description is usually unnecessary and can sound off.
以前我看了很多电视，现在不看了。
以前我看很多电视，现在不看了。
Don't Confuse With
过去...现在...
Same contrast, slightly more formal/literary. 过去 leans 'in the past' as an era; 以前 is everyday 'before/previously.'
本来...后来...
Use 本来...后来... when describing a planned/original situation that later changed. 以前...现在... is straight past vs. present, with no original-plan implication.
原来...现在...
Use 原来 when revealing something the listener didn't know was true before. 以前 is neutral — just naming the past.
Practice
Fill in the blank: ___ 我不会做饭，现在会了。
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以前
Fill in the blank: 以前他住在北京，___ 住在上海。
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现在
Arrange: 以前 / 这个 / 现在 / 小 / 城市 / 很 / 很 / 大
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以前这个城市很小，现在很大。
Translate: I used to walk to school; now I take the bus.
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以前我走路去学校，现在坐公交车。
Describe how your daily routine has changed using 以前...现在...
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以前我每天晚睡，现在十一点就睡了。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 3 Fluentide episodes:
以前用普通汽油，现在用环保的新油。
以前的车很大，现在的车小了。
以前它会告很多公司...但是现在情况变了 (Before it sued many companies... but now the situation changed)