qián hòu
front and back; from start to finish; around
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我前后打了三次电话给他。
wǒ qián hòu dǎ le sān cì diàn huà ɡěi tā .
I called him three times back and forth.
这篇小说从开始到完成，前后用了一年时间。
zhè piān xiǎo shuō cónɡ kāi shǐ dào wán chénɡ ，qián hòu yònɡ le yì nián shí jiān .
This novel took a year from start to finish.
中秋节前后正是桂花盛开的时间。
zhōnɡ qiū jié qián hòu zhènɡ shì ɡuì huā shènɡ kāi de shí jiān .
Around the Mid-Autumn Festival is the time when the osmanthus flowers are in full bloom.
先后 (xiānhòu)
before and after
左右 (zuǒyòu)
left and right
The Chinese word 前后 (qián hòu) is composed of two characters: 前 (qián), meaning "front" or "before", and 后 (hòu), meaning "back" or "after". Together, they literally mean "front and back" or "before and after".The word 前后 can be used in a variety of ways. It can be used as a noun, meaning "the front and back" or "the beginning and end". For example, you could say 前后两页 (qián hòu liǎng yè), meaning "the front and back two pages". It can also be used as an adverb, meaning "before and after" or "in the past and future". For example, you could say 前后两次 (qián hòu liǎng cì), meaning "the two times before and after".The word 前后 can also be used as a verb, meaning "to move forward and backward" or "to hesitate". For example, you could say 前前后后 (qián qián hòu hòu), meaning "to move back and forth".The word 前后 is a very common word in Chinese, and it is used in a variety of contexts. By understanding the etymology of this word, you can better understand its meaning and how it is used.
