before; prior to; in front of
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesnoun
before; prior to (a time)
Primarily refers to time. It attaches to a time noun or verb phrase to indicate a point earlier than the reference time.
Chī吃
fàn饭
zhī之
qián前
yào要
xǐ洗
shǒu手
。
You must wash your hands before eating.
Yī一
gè个
yuè月
zhī之
qián前
wǒ我
hái还
yù遇
dào到
guo过
tā他
。
I ran into him a month ago.
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Huì会
yì议
kāi开
shǐ始
zhī之
qián前
，
qǐng请
jiāng将
shǒu手
jī机
diào调
chéng成
jìng静
yīn音
。
Please put your phones on silent before the meeting starts.
Dà大
xué学
bì毕
yè业
zhī之
qián前
，
tā他
xiǎng想
qù去
lǚ旅
xíng行
。
He wants to travel before graduating from university.
noun
in front of (a place); before (a location)
formalLess common than the temporal meaning. Often used in formal or written contexts to indicate spatial position.
Tā他
men们
zhàn站
zài在
duì队
qí旗
zhī之
qián前
jǔ举
shǒu手
xuān宣
shì誓
。
They stood in front of the team flag and raised their hands to take the oath.
Diāo雕
xiàng像
zhī之
qián前
bǎi摆
mǎn满
le了
xiān鲜
huā花
。
The area in front of the statue was filled with flowers.