The character 前 — “front”: how to write it and what it means
front, ahead
The Chinese character 前 is read qián and means “front, ahead”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 前
前 has 9 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 前, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
Words with 前
- 前面in front, front sideHSK 2
- 面前in front of (someone)HSK 3
- 以前before; previouslyHSK 3
- 前天day before yesterdayHSK 3
- 前年year before lastHSK 3
- 前方ahead, in frontHSK 4
- 提前in advance, ahead of timeHSK 4
- 前后around (a date); before and afterHSK 4
- 目前at presentHSK 4
- 眼前before one's eyes; nowHSK 4
- 之前before (lit.)HSK 4
- 前往head forHSK 5
- 从前in the past, onceHSK 5
- 此前before thisHSK 5
- 当前current, presentHSK 5
- 前进advance, move forwardHSK 5
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 前?
前 has 9 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 前 mean?
前 means “front, ahead”. It appears in 前面 (“in front”), 面前 (“in front of”), 以前 (“before”), 前天 (“day before yesterday”).
How do you pronounce 前?
前 is read qián. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 前 have?
9 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 前 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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