Hanzi
Traditional
Simplified

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

Hanzi

Grade

Grade 1

Pinyin

qián, jiǎn

Bopomofo

ㄑㄧㄢˊ, ㄐㄧㄢˇ

Jyutping

cin4

Example sentences

之前 zhīqián
在開會之前,請先閱讀這份報告。
在开会之前,请先阅读这份报告。

Please read this report before the meeting.

jiāo
請在明天之前把報告交給我。
请在明天之前把报告交给我。

Please hand the report over to me before tomorrow.

以前 yǐqián
以前這裡有一棵大樹。
以前这里有一棵大树。

There used to be a big tree here.

煤炭 méitàn
這家工廠以前使用煤炭作為燃料。
这家工厂以前使用煤炭作为燃料。

This factory used to use coal as fuel.

qián
郵局在車站前。
邮局在车站前。

The post office is in front of the station.

shǒu
吃飯前要洗手。
吃饭前要洗手。

Wash your hands before eating.

歡迎各位前來參觀。
欢迎各位前来参观。

Welcome everyone to come and visit.

各界 gèjiè
這場活動吸引了各界人士前來參加。
这场活动吸引了各界人士前来参加。

This event attracted people from all walks of life.

前夕 qiánxī
在國慶節的前夕,整個城市都裝飾得非常漂亮。
在国庆节的前夕,整个城市都装饰得非常漂亮。

On the eve of National Day, the entire city was beautifully decorated.

春節前夕,家家戶戶都會進行掃除活動。
春节前夕,家家户户都会进行扫除活动。

On the eve of the Spring Festival, every household carries out cleaning activities.

Example Vocabulary

Sottaku

About Sottaku

Sottaku is an app for learning Chinese, Japanese, Korean, English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian with a strong focus on SRS. It includes automatic flashcard creation for hundreds of thousands of words, grammar breakdowns in example sentences, language-specific study packs where available, adaptive quizzes, mobile apps, a browser extension, and community features. Give it a try now! All learning content is free with no limits on flashcards or study time.

Sottaku is built to match the habits of successful learners. By using Sottaku, you will naturally learn in the most efficient way possible, as proven by countless success stories in the language learning community.

Free Forever

Access all grammar guides, quizzes, and flashcards without paying a cent. Quality education should be accessible to everyone.

Smart SRS System

Our flashcard system uses the FSRS algorithm (also used in Anki) to optimize your review schedule and maximize retention.

Comprehensive Content

From hanzi, kana, hangul, and European vocabulary basics to grammar and reading practice where available, we have lessons for every level. Practice with quizzes tailored to your skill.

Community Chat

Ask level-appropriate questions and get help from the community. Learn together with fellow learners across all 8 supported languages.