曾经 - Expressing "once"

HSK 5

曾经 (céng jīng) means “once” or “used to” and is used to talk about something that happened in the past but isn’t true anymore. It adds a sense of nostalgia or reflection, like you're looking back on a past experience.

Use 曾经 when:

• You're talking about a specific event or situation in the past.

• It’s no longer true now.

• You want to add a bit of emotion, memory, or drama to your sentence.

Structure: Subject + 曾经 + Verb (+ 过) + Object

Sample Sentences

我曾经在台北住了两年，那段时间对我来说非常特别。I once lived in Taipei for two years — that period was very special to me.

她曾经梦想成为一名舞蹈家，但后来选择了当老师。She once dreamed of becoming a dancer, but later chose to become a teacher.

我们曾经是最好的朋友，无话不谈，但现在已经很久没联系了。We used to be best friends and shared everything, but now we haven’t been in touch for a long time.

In a Text

我曾经是个完全不爱运动的人，每天下班回家就是躺在沙发上看电视。朋友们都劝我去锻炼，但我总是找借口推脱。后来有一次体检，医生说我的健康状况不太理想，那一刻我才意识到问题的严重性。

从那以后，我开始慢慢改变生活习惯。我曾经报名参加过一个瑜伽课程，虽然一开始觉得很难坚持，但慢慢地我找到了乐趣。现在，我每周都会去健身房两到三次，生活变得有规律多了。

回想起来，我曾经以为自己永远不会喜欢运动，但现在我觉得，只要愿意尝试，任何人都可以改变。

• 锻炼 (duànliàn): to exercise; to work out

• 找借口推脱 (zhǎo jièkǒu tuītuō): to make excuses to avoid something

• 意识 (yìshí): awareness; to realize

• 瑜伽 (yújiā): yoga

• 有规律 (yǒu guīlǜ): structured; regular (in habits or lifestyle)

I used to be someone who didn’t like exercising at all. After work, I would just lie on the couch and watch TV. My friends all encouraged me to work out, but I always found excuses to avoid it. Then, during a health checkup, the doctor said my health wasn’t in great shape. At that moment, I realized how serious the problem was.

Since then, I started gradually changing my lifestyle. I once signed up for a yoga class. Although I found it hard to stick with at first, I slowly began to enjoy it. Now, I go to the gym two to three times a week, and my life has become much more structured.

Looking back, I once thought I would never like exercising. But now, I believe that as long as you’re willing to try, anyone can change.