前 qián in front
in front of; before; ago; previous
How to remember 前: 䒑 horns and bar + ⿰⺝刂 cut off = in front. At the concert a man in a Viking helmet with horns and a bar keeps the girl's view cut off by standing right in front of her.
Component breakdown
前 = 䒑 horns and bar + ⿰⺝刂 cut off
- 䒑 horns and bar
- ⿰⺝刂 cut off
At the concert a man in a Viking helmet with horns and a bar keeps the girl's view cut off by standing right in front of her.
How it came to be
A footprint drawn over a boat: standing in the bow while the boat carries the traveller forward. Going ahead without walking is the idea, which is what being in front is.
How it is used
- 'Front / before / ago' - 前面 (qiánmiàn) in front, 以前 (yǐqián) previously, 三天前 (sān tiān qián) three days ago.
- For dates it means 'the one before': 前天 (qiántiān) day before yesterday, 前年 (qiánnián) year before last.
- 提前 (tíqián) means to bring forward / do earlier than planned; 之前 (zhīqián) is the formal 'before' that follows a time or event.
Characters built with 前
Words with 前
- 前面qiánmiànin frontHSK 2
- 以前yǐqiánbeforeHSK 3
- 前天qiántiānthe day before yesterdayHSK 3
- 前年qiánniánthe year before lastHSK 3
- 面前miànqiánin front ofHSK 3
- 提前tíqiánshift to an earlier dateHSK 4
- 之前zhīqiánbeforeHSK 4
- 前后qiánhòuaroundHSK 4
- 前方qiánfāngaheadHSK 4
- 目前mùqiánat the present timeHSK 4
- 眼前yǎnqiánbefore one's eyesHSK 4
- 从前cóngqiánpreviouslyHSK 5
- 前往qiánwǎngto leave forHSK 5
- 前来qiánláito come (formal)HSK 5
- 前进qiánjìnto go forwardHSK 5
- 前途qiántúprospectsHSK 5
- 当前dāngqiánthe present timeHSK 5
- 此前cǐqiánbefore thisHSK 5
- 先前xiānqiánbeforeHSK 6
- 前提qiántípremiseHSK 6
- 前景qiánjǐngforegroundHSK 6
- 前期qiánqīpreceding periodHSK 6
- 前者qiánzhěthe former (i.e. the one mentioned first)HSK 6
- 日前rìqiánthe other dayHSK 6
- 跟前gēnqiánthe front (of)HSK 6
- 前任qiánrènpredecessorHSK 7
- 前台qiántáistageHSK 7
- 前程qiánchéngfuture (career etc) prospectsHSK 7
- 前线qiánxiànfront lineHSK 7
- 勇往直前yǒngwǎng-zhíqiánto advance bravelyHSK 7
- 史无前例shǐwúqiánlìunprecedented in historyHSK 7
- 思前想后sīqián-xiǎnghòuto consider past cause and future effectHSK 7
- 生前shēngqiánduring one's lifeHSK 7
- 空前kōngqiánunprecedentedHSK 7
- 超前chāoqiánto be ahead of one's timeHSK 7
- 前夕qiánxīeveHSK 8
- 前所未有qiánsuǒwèiyǒuunprecedentedHSK 8
- 前无古人qiánwúgǔrénunprecedentedHSK 8
- 前沿qiányánforward positionHSK 8
- 前赴后继qiánfù-hòujìto advance dauntlessly in wave upon waveHSK 8
Example sentences
- 饭前先吃点小吃吧！ Fàn qián xiān chī diǎn xiǎochī ba!Let's eat some snacks before the meal.
- 吃饭前要洗手。 Chīfàn qián yào xǐshǒu.We have to wash our hands before eating.
- 奶奶两年前去世了。 Nǎinai liǎng nián qián qùshì le.My grandmother died two years ago.
- 考试前要认真复习。 Kǎoshì qián yào rènzhēn fùxí.You must review your lessons well before the examination.