qián

in front, forward; preceding

DEFINITIONS

前 qián
  • front
  • forward
  • ahead
  • first
  • top (followed by a number)
  • future
  • ago
  • before
  • BC (e.g. 前293年)
  • former
  • formerly

STROKES

WORDS

锋 qián fēng vanguard; front line; a forward (sports)
tái qián Taiqian county in Puyang 濮陽|濮阳[Pu2 yang2], Henan; front of the stage
勇往直 yǒng wǎng zhí qián to advance bravely
夕 qián xī eve; the day before
列腺 qián liè xiàn prostate
不久 qián bù jiǔ not long ago; not long before
途无量 qián tú wú liàng to have boundless prospects
期 qián qī preceding period; early stage
者 qián zhě the former
cǐ qián before this; before then; previously
院 qián yuàn front courtyard; front yard
功尽弃 qián gōng jìn qì to waste all one's previous efforts (idiom); all that has been achieved goes down the drain
沿 qián yán front-line; forward position; outpost; extending ahead; frontier (of science, technology etc)
chǎn qián prenatal; antenatal
所未见 qián suǒ wèi jiàn unprecedented; never seen before
近在眼 jìn zài yǎn qián right under one's nose; right in front of one's eyes; close at hand; imminent
世 qián shì previous generations; previous incarnation (Buddhism)
chāo qián to be ahead of one's time; to surpass or outdo one's predecessors; to be ahead of the pack; to take the lead; advanced
段 qián duàn front part (of an object); first part (of an event); previous paragraph
停滞不 tíng zhì bù qián stuck and not moving forward (idiom); stagnant; in a rut; at a standstill
兆 qián zhào omen; prior indication; first sign
哨 qián shào outpost; (fig.) front line
臂 qián bì forearm
rì qián the other day; a few days ago
厅 qián tīng anteroom; vestibule; lobby (of a hotel etc)