qián
front
我住在学校前面。
wǒ zhù zài xué xiào qián miàn.
I live in front of the school.
前面有一个人。
qián miàn yǒu yī gè rén.
There is a person in front.
我走在你的前面。
wǒ zǒu zài nǐ de qián miàn.
I walk in front of you.
前面 (qiánmiàn)
front
以前 (yǐqián)
before
过去 (guòqù)
past
后 (hòu)
back
末 (mò)
end
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The Chinese character 前 (qián) is composed of two parts: the radical 辶 (chuò), which represents movement or walking, and the phonetic component 前 (qián), which represents the sound. The character 前 originally meant "to go forward" or "to advance", and it has been used in this sense since the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC). Over time, the meaning of 前 has expanded to include "before" (in time or space), "in front of", and "former".The character 前 is also used in a number of compound words and phrases, such as 前进 (qíanjìn, "to advance"), 前途 (qiántú, "future"), and 前世 (qiánshì, "previous life"). It is also used in the names of many places, such as 前门 (Qiánmén, a gate in Beijing) and 前海 (Qiánhǎi, a bay in Shenzhen).The character 前 is a common character in Chinese, and it is used in a wide variety of contexts. It is an important character to learn for HSK learners, as it is essential for understanding many basic Chinese words and phrases.
