qián hòu
ReadWriteQuiz

Chinese dictionary
Show pinyin

  • 1

    n.front and back; front and rear

    • cūn zi qián hòu gè yǒu yī tiáo gōng lù

      村子前后公路

      There is a highway running in front of the village and another one behind it.

    • qián hòu lún tāi kě yǐ hù huàn

      前后轮胎可以互换

      The front and rear tyres can interchange.

    • fáng zi qián hòu dōu shì guǒ shù

      房子前后果树

      There are fruit trees in front and at the back of the house.

  • 2

    n.around (a certain time); time/period around

    • tiān liàng qián hòu

      前后

      shortly before and after daybreak

    • nián qián hòu

      1949前后

      round 1949

  • 3

    n.(of time) from the beginning to the end

    • zhè piān xiǎo shuō cóng dòng bǐ dào dìng gǎo qián hòu huā le yī nián shí jiān

      小说动笔定稿前后时间

      The novel took a year to write altogether, from start to finish.

    • tā de tài du qián hòu yī zhì

      态度前后一致

      He is quite consistent in his attitude.

  • 4

    n.people/things of the same kind in succession

    • nǐ qián hòu jǐ fēng xìn wǒ dōu yǐ shōu dào

      前后收到

      I've received all your letters.

Word usage

  • Note
    "前后" is different from "先后". 1) "前后" can refer to time and space; "先后" can only refer to time; 2) Refers to time. If it refers to the sequence of events occurring within a period of time, it should be used "先后"; if it refers to the entire period of time, it should be used "前后"; 3) "前后" can modify nouns; "先后" cannot. "
  • "前后" can be reduplicated, for example: "前前后后".
    • 事情

      She told me the whole story.