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前
🇹🇼🇭🇰🇨🇳🇯🇵🇰🇷

front

HSK 1 N4
Abstract →Space
qián
ゼン
まえ、-まえ
전
Phonosemantic compound. 歬 represents the sound, and 刂 represents the meaning. Based on the original meaning "cut", now written as 剪. The current meaning "in front" is a phonetic loan.
Components
歬 go forward+ 刂 knife (side) =
前 front
歬 Phonetic component
qián go forward
View phonetic series →
刂 Meaning component
dāo knife (side)
knife
Notes
Similar Characters
刈 mow刊 publication刎 cut throat刑 punishment划 paddle (simp)刖 cutting off feet刘 destroy (simp)刚 tough (simp)创 establish (simp)删 delete (simp)判 judge刨 plane刪 delete (trad)刭 throat (simp)刮 scrape刳 cut out刹 monastery (simp)刺 thorn刻 carve刽 amputate (simp)
Historical Evolution
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze
Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze
Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal
Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal
Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal
Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal
Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal
Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal
Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical
Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
前
Regular
Modern
Chinese
前 [qián]
front; forward; ahead; first; top (followed by a number); future; ago; before; BC (e.g. 前293年); former; formerly
Japanese
前 まえ 同音

noun

  1. in front (of); before (e.g. a building)
  2. before; earlier; previously; prior; ago; (minutes) to (the hour)
  3. (the) front; frontal part; fore; head (e.g. of a line)
  4. forward; ahead
  5. (in the) presence (of); in front (of someone)
  6. front (of one's body or clothing); breast (of a coat, kimono, etc.)
  7. privates; private parts
  8. colloquial criminal record; previous conviction; (a) prior

adj-no

  1. previous (e.g. page); prior (e.g. engagement); first (e.g. half); former (e.g. example)

suffix

  1. portion; helping (after a noun or the -masu stem of a verb)
前 ぜん 同音
  1. n-pref last (i.e. immediately preceding); previous; ex-; former
  2. n-pref pre- (e.g. premodern) (before the name of an era)
  3. n-suf before (after a noun)
  4. nounadverb dated before; earlier
Example Sentences
🇯🇵 (11)
我が家の前には狭い庭があります。
There is a small garden in front of my house.
部屋に入る前に靴を脱ぎなさい。
Take your shoes off before you come into the room.
父は２年前に亡くなった。
My father passed away two years ago.
私はバスの前の席に座った。
I sat in the front of the bus.
Japanese Names
前 さき
Saki surnamegiven name
前 すすむ
Susumu surname
前 すすめ
Susume surname
前 せん
Sen surname
前 ぜん
Zen surname
前 まえ
Mae surname
前 まえさき
Maesaki surname
前 まえざき
Maezaki surname
前 まえはま
Maehama surname
前 みさき
Misaki unclassified name
CHINESE WORDS (200)
之前 [zhī​qián] #250
before
目前 [mù​qián] #1,070
at the present time
以前 [yǐ​qián] #289
before
前面 [qián​miàn] #1,323
ahead
面前 [miàn​qián] #948
in front of
提前 [tí​qián] #2,682
to shift to an earlier date
当前 [dāng​qián] #8,798
current
前进 [qián​jìn] #1,952
to go forward
前进 [qián​jìn] #1,952
to go forward
前往 [qián​wǎng] #2,770
to leave for
190 more items
JAPANESE WORDS (200)
⭐ 名前 [なまえ] #240
name
⭐ お前 [おまえ] #449
you
⭐ 当然 [とうぜん] #565
natural
⭐ 目の前 [めのまえ] #581
before one's eyes
⭐ 以前 [いぜん] #700
before
前に [まえに] #780
ahead
⭐ 当たり前 [あたりまえ] #938
natural
⭐ この前 [このまえ] #1,930
the other day
⭐ 直前 [ちょくぜん] #2,299
just before
⭐ 手前 [てまえ] #2,536
before oneself
190 more items
KOREAN WORDS (56)
전기 #2,957
introduction; prologue
오전 #4,388
morning
전자 #7,638
earlier; the other day
이전 #7,643
previous time; before
전진 #7,744
moving forward
사전 #8,232
being prior; being beforehand; being preliminary
전방 #11,485
front
전직 #17,328
being former
직전 #19,139
brink; verge
기원전 #24,839
B.C.
46 more items