前qián

前

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Simplified · Today

简体

Simplified Chinese

Modern simplified form (簡體). 前 (qián, "front, before") remains unchanged from its traditional counterpart — the character originally depicted a foot (止) moving through a doorway, evolving to represent forward direction and precedence. It appears as a component in 煎 (fry), 箭 (arrow), 替 (replace) and many other compounds, consistently carrying its meaning of what comes before.

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Shuowen

前. It is formed from a foot (止) and a knife (刀), picturing a foot stepping forward with a blade cutting a path, signifying 'to go forward'. In oracle bone script the foot moving ahead and the knife indicate the act of advancing, giving the original meaning of 'front, before'. The combination of foot and knife shows the motion of moving forward, so the character was shaped to depict this forward movement.

Pinyin

qián· HSK 1

前qián

Character evolution

Shuowen

Pinyin