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。
Show answer
以前
Fill in the blank: 以前他住在北京，___ 住在上海。
Show answer
现在
Arrange: 以前 / 这个 / 现在 / 小 / 城市 / 很 / 很 / 大
Show answer
以前这个城市很小，现在很大。
Translate: I used to walk to school; now I take the bus.
Show answer
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...
Show answer
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)
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 以前...现在... in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start, no card.