从前 cóng qián before; formerly; in the past; once upon a time; a long time ago; some time ago; (古) sometime: 从前,有一个老人,他有两个美丽的女儿。 Once upon a time, there lived an old man who had two beautiful daughters. 我们村跟从前大不一样了。 Our village is very different from what it was before.