曾经 (céngjīng)

In Chinese, "曾经" is an adverb that indicates something that happened in the past, typically emphasizing the aspect of "once" or "formerly." It is often translated as "once" or "previously" in English.

Basic Usage

Here are some common usages of "曾经":

• As an adverb indicating past experience: For example: 曾经我住过在上海。(céngjīng wǒ zhùguò zài shànghǎi.) - I once lived in Shanghai.
• Emphasizing a past action: For example: 曾经有一段时间我非常喜欢音乐。(céngjīng yǒu yīduàn shíjiān wǒ fēicháng xǐhuān yīnyuè.) - There was a time when I really liked music.

Examples

Here are some example sentences containing "曾经":

• 曾经我们是很好的朋友。(céngjīng wǒmen shì hěn hǎo de péngyǒu.) - We were once good friends.
• 他曾经在这家公司工作过。(tā céngjīng zài zhè jiā gōngsī gōngzuò guò.) - He used to work in this company.