前
qián
Pinyin

Definition

前
 - 
qián
  1. front
  2. forward
  3. ahead
  4. first
  5. top (followed by a number)
  6. future
  7. ago
  8. before
  9. BC (e.g. 前293年)
  10. former
  11. formerly

Character Decomposition

Compounds (8)

箭
jiàn
  1. 1 arrow
  2. 2 classifier: 支 zhī
剪
Jiǎn
  1. 1 surname Jian
剪
jiǎn
  1. 1 scissors
  2. 2 shears
  3. 3 clippers
  4. 4 classifier: 把 bǎ
  5. 5 to cut with scissors
  6. 6 to trim
  7. 7 to wipe out or exterminate
煎
jiān
  1. 1 to pan fry
  2. 2 to sauté
翦
Jiǎn
  1. 1 surname Jian

Related Words (20)

之前
zhī qián
  1. 1 before
  2. 2 prior to
  3. 3 ago
  4. 4 previously
  5. 5 beforehand
以前
yǐ qián
  1. 1 before
  2. 2 formerly
  3. 3 previous
  4. 4 ago
前
qián
  1. 1 front
  2. 2 forward
  3. 3 ahead
  4. 4 first
  5. 5 top (followed by a number)
  6. 6 future
  7. 7 ago
  8. 8 before
  9. 9 BC (e.g. 前293年)
  10. 10 former
  11. 11 formerly
前世
qián shì
  1. 1 previous generations
  2. 2 previous incarnation (Buddhism)
前来
qián lái
  1. 1 to come (formal)
  2. 2 before
  3. 3 previously

Idioms (20)

一往无前
yī wǎng wú qián
  1. 1 to advance courageously (idiom)
  2. 2 to press forward
不听老人言，吃亏在眼前
bù tīng lǎo rén yán , chī kuī zài yǎn qián
  1. 1 (idiom) ignore your elders at your peril
不顾前后
bù gù qián hòu
  1. 1 regardless of what's before or after (idiom); rushing blindly into sth
五百年前是一家
wǔ bǎi nián qián shì yī jiā
  1. 1 five hundred years ago we were the same family (idiom) (said of persons with the same surname)
停滞不前
tíng zhì bù qián
  1. 1 stuck and not moving forward (idiom); stagnant
  2. 2 in a rut
  3. 3 at a standstill

Sample Sentences

为了要换免费的东西，所以给了个人资料。螳螂捕蝉，黄雀在后。你不能只想着眼前的利益。
wèile yào huàn miǎnfèi de dōngxi ，suǒyǐ gěi le gèrén zīliào 。tánglángbǔchán,huángquèzàihòu 。nǐ bùnéng zhǐ xiǎng zhe yǎnqián de lìyì 。
In order to get free samples, you gave out your personal information. You can't see the forest for the trees. Don't only consider the immediate profits.
Go to Lesson 
老板，这个计划太赶了，我们也许没办法在下个月前组好一个团队。
lǎobǎn ，zhège jìhuà tài gǎn le ，wǒmen yěxǔ méi bànfǎ zài xiàgèyuè qián zǔ hǎo yīgē tuánduì 。
Boss, the deadline for this project is too tight. I'm afraid that we might not be able to build a team by next month.
Go to Lesson 
古迹之所以可以放这么久，就是因为以前的建筑质量好，不但材料优质，建筑技术也巧妙。
gǔjì zhīsuǒyǐ kěyǐ fàng zhème jiǔ ，jiùshì yīnwèi yǐqián de jiànzhù zhìliàng hǎo ，bùdàn cáiliào yōuzhì ，jiànzhù jìshù yě qiǎomiào 。
The reason why the monuments can be kept for so long is because the previous buildings are of good quality, not only the materials are high-quality, but the construction techniques are also ingenious.
Go to Lesson 
他前天来过，昨天又来了。
tā qiántiān lái guò ，zuótiān yòu lái le 。
He came the day before and he came again yesterday.
Go to Lesson 
我前男友常常口是心非。
wǒ qiánnányǒu chángcháng kǒushìxīnfēi 。
My ex-boyfriend would alway speak with a forked tongue.
Go to Lesson 
法国人觉得用餐礼仪很重要，例如用餐前尽量别移动桌上的摆设，服务生会为你服务。
Fǎguórén juéde yòngcān lǐyí hěn zhòngyào ，lìrú yòngcān qián jǐnliàng bié yídòng zhuō shàng de bǎishè ，fúwùshēng huì wèi nǐ fúwù 。
French people think that table manners are very important, such as not moving the decoration on the table before eating because the waiter will serve you.
Go to Lesson 
秦宇终于松了一口气，原来是个乌龙，只是虚惊一场罢了。他趁机问了女孩儿的名字，聊了几句，原来女孩儿喜欢看话剧，同时也是个古董控，一个月前去了上海玩，在上海看了几场话剧，还去逛了一些跳蚤市场。秦宇原本想加她微信，但女孩儿说手机上周摔坏了，暂时没有手机可以用。于是他们直接约了隔天表演开场前的半小时在剧院门口碰面。
QínYǔ zhōngyú sōngleyìkǒuqì ，yuánlái shì ge wūlóng ，zhǐshì xūjīngyìchǎng bàle 。tā chènjī wèn le nǚháiēr de míngzi ，liáo le jǐ jù ，yuánlái nǚháiēr xǐhuan kàn huàjù ，tóngshí yě shì ge gǔdǒng kòng ，yīgē yuè qián qù le Shànghǎi wán ，zài Shànghǎi kàn le jǐ chǎng huàjù ，hái qù quàng le yīxiē tiàozǎoshìchǎng 。QínYǔ yuánběn xiǎng jiā tā Wēixìn ，dàn nǚháiēr shuō shǒujī shàngzhōu shuāihuài le ，zànshí méiyǒu shǒujī kěyǐ yòng 。yúshì tāmen zhíjiē yuē le gétiān biǎoyǎn kāichǎng qián de bànxiǎoshí zài jùyuàn ménkǒu pèngmiàn 。
QinYu took a load off his mind. As it turned out that it's a mistake, merely a false alarm. He seized the opportunity and asked the girl's name, chatted for a while. In fact, the girl likes to watch stage drama, and she's a big fan of antique as well. Last month, she went to visit Shanghai, watched some play there, and visited some flea market. QinYu was thinking to add her on Wechat, but the girl said that she broke her phone last week, so she doesn't have a phone. Therefore, they decided to meet in front of the theatre half an hour before the play starts the next day.
Go to Lesson 
屋内一张桌子上，放了一个大相框，框上系着两条黑绳，框里是女孩儿的头像照片儿。相框前点着两支白色的蜡烛，中间摆了一个秦宇他们店里的外卖咖啡杯。
wū nèi yī zhāng zhuōzi shàng ，fàng le yī ge dà xiàngkuàng ，kuàng shàng xì zhe liǎng tiáo Hēi shéng ，kuàng lǐ shì nǚháiēr de tóuxiàng zhàopiàn r 。xiàngkuàng qián diǎn zhe liǎng Zhī báisè de làzhú ，zhōngjiān bǎi le yīgē QínYǔ tāmen diàn lǐ de wàimài kāfēi bēi 。
In the room, there was a desk. On top of it was a picture frame with the girl's portrait, tied with two black ropes. There were two white candles lit up in front of the frame, and there was a coffee cup from QinYu's shop in between the candles.
Go to Lesson 
李秀英这种人之后一定会露出马脚，你干嘛现在自毁前途呢？
Lǐxiùyīng zhèzhǒng rén zhīhòu yīdìng huì lùchūmǎjiǎo ，nǐ gànmá xiànzài zìhuǐqiántú ne ？
Xiuying Li will eventually show her true colors, why would you ruin your own career now?
Go to Lesson 
他在每一次喂狗吃肉之前都会响一次铃，狗有肉吃就会流口水，久而久之，狗一听到铃声就知道有肉可吃，就会不自主地流下口水。
tā zài měi yīcì wèi gǒu chī ròu zhīqián dōu huì xiǎng yīcì líng ，gǒu yǒu ròu chī jiù huì liú kǒushuǐ ，jiǔérjiǔzhī ，gǒu yī tīngdào língshēng jiù zhīdào yǒu ròu kě chī ，jiù huì de liú xià kǒushuǐ 。
He rings the bell every time before feeding the dogs. The dogs drool when there's meat to eat. As time passed by, the dogs would know that there's meat to eat once they heard the bell, and they would drool involuntarily.
Go to Lesson