Meaning of 前面
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- ahead
- in front
- preceding
- above
- also pr. [qian2 mian5]
How to use 前面
前面 is a place word for something ahead or in front, and it can also mean earlier in a text or conversation, like 'above' or 'preceding'. It often follows a noun with or without 的, as in 我家前面 (wǒ jiā qiánmiàn). Example: 银行就在前面。(Yínháng jiù zài qiánmiàn.) The bank is just ahead.
前 (qián) means front or before, and 面 (miàn) means face or side. The side your face points to is the front, so 前面 is the space in front of you.
Common mistake: Learners often say 在前面我 for 'in front of me', but the reference noun comes first: 在我前面 (zài wǒ qiánmiàn). Also do not mix up 前面 (in front, space) with 以前 (yǐqián, before, time).
前面 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
前 qián · front · 9 strokes
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面 miàn · face · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 前面.
| 见面 | jiànmiàn | to meet; to see each other |
| 面包 | miànbāo | bread |
| 前天 | qiántiān | the day before yesterday |
| 前边 | qiánbian | front; the front side |
| 面条儿 | miàntiáor | erhua variant of 麵條|面条[mian4 tiao2] |
| 以前 | yǐqián | before; formerly |
| 面前 | miànqián | in front of; facing |
| 方面 | fāngmiàn | respect; aspect |
| 对面 | duìmiàn | opposite; across (the street etc); directly in front of one; up ahead |
| 前年 | qiánnián | the year before last |
| 方便面 | fāngbiànmiàn | instant noodles |
| 里面 | lǐmiàn | inside; interior |
Questions about 前面
What does 前面 mean?
前面 (qiánmiàn) means "ahead; in front" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 前面?
前面 is made of 2 characters: 前 (9 strokes), 面 (9 strokes). That is 18 strokes in total.
Is 前面 an HSK word?
Yes. 前面 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is the 面 in 前面 pronounced with a neutral tone?
Both are heard. The dictionary lists qiánmiàn with a fourth tone, and qiánmian with a light neutral tone is also common in everyday speech.
What is the difference between 前面 and 前边?
They mean the same thing and can usually replace each other. 前边 (qiánbian) sounds a bit more colloquial and is especially common in northern speech, while 前面 also fits writing, such as 前面提到的 (mentioned above).