HSK Level 2

面前

miàn qián

in front of; before

Mobile & Tablet App

Master with Writing Practice

Practice writing with stroke order guidance, audio pronunciation, and interactive exercises in our mobile app.

Step-by-step stroke order animations

Native speaker audio pronunciation

Interactive writing recognition

Practice Now
Character writing practice in mobile app

Example Sentences

我站在你面前。

wǒ zhàn zài nǐ miàn qián.

I am standing in front of you.

他把书放在我面前。

tā bǎ shū fàng zài wǒ miàn qián.

He put the book in front of me.

她在我的面前唱歌。

tā zài wǒ de miàn qián chàng gē.

She sang in front of me.

Synonyms

Antonyms

背后 (bèi hòu)

behind

后面 (hòu miàn)

behind

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 面前 (miànqián) is composed of two characters: 面 (miàn), meaning "face", and 前 (qián), meaning "front". Together, they literally mean "in front of the face", which is the basic meaning of the word.The word 面前 can be used in a variety of ways. It can be used as a preposition, meaning "in front of" or "before". For example, you could say 我站在他面前 (wǒ zhàn zài tā miànqián), which means "I am standing in front of him". It can also be used as an adverb, meaning "in front" or "ahead". For example, you could say 他走在我的面前 (tā zǒu zài wǒ de miànqián), which means "He is walking ahead of me".The word 面前 can also be used in a more figurative sense. For example, it can be used to mean "in the presence of" or "before the eyes of". For example, you could say 他在众人面前发表了讲话 (tā zài zhòngrén miànqián fābiǎo le jiǎnghuà), which means "He gave a speech in front of everyone".The word 面前 is a very common word in Chinese, and it is important to understand its meaning and usage. By understanding the etymology of the word, you can better understand its meaning and how it is used.