前 qián — before; in front; ago; former; previous; earlier
学校前面有一个公园。Xué xiào qián mian yǒu yí ge gōng yuán.There is a park in front of the school.
Common words: 前面 (qián miàn)、前天 (qián tiān)、前边 (qián bian)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "former"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "former", including 前 (qián), 先 (xiān), 原 (yuán), 旧 (jiù), 宿 (sù / xiǔ / xiù), 昔 (xī). Study pinyin…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "former" covers 6 different Chinese characters — 前 (qián), 先 (xiān), 原 (yuán), 旧 (jiù), 宿 (sù / xiǔ / xiù), 昔 (xī) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 6 characters do not share a sound — their readings span qián, xiān, yuán, jiù, sù, xiǔ, and more — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 前 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 前 qiánbefore; in front; ago; former; previous; earlierUseful words: 前面, 前天
- 先 xiānearly; prior; former; in advance; firstUseful words: 先生, 首先
- 原 yuánformer; original; primary; raw; level; causeUseful words: 原因, 原来
- 旧 jiùold (opposite of new); formerUseful words: 依旧, 仍旧
- 宿 sù / xiǔ / xiùlodge for the night; old; former; (a) night; constellationUseful words: 宿舍, 住宿
Common words for these 6 "former" characters
Anchor each of these 6 characters in a word you can picture — start with 前 (qián) — so "former" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
前面qián miànahead; in front; preceding; above前天qián tiānthe day before yesterday前边qián bianfront; the front side; in front of先生xiān shengteacher; gentleman; sir; mister (Mr.)首先shǒu xiānfirst of all; in the first place领先lǐng xiānto lead; to be in front原因yuán yīncause; origin; root cause; reason原来yuán láioriginal; former; originally; formerly原则yuán zéprinciple; doctrine依旧yī jiùas before; still; to remain the same
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 6 ways to say "former".
先 xiān — early; prior; former; in advance; first
请你先走，我马上就来。Qǐng nǐ xiān zǒu, wǒ mǎ shàng jiù lái.Please go first; I will come right away.
Common words: 先生 (xiān sheng)、首先 (shǒu xiān)、领先 (lǐng xiān)
原 yuán — former; original; primary; raw; level; cause
原来你也在这里！Yuán lái nǐ yě zài zhè lǐ!So you are here too!
Common words: 原因 (yuán yīn)、原来 (yuán lái)、原则 (yuán zé)
旧 jiù — old (opposite of new); former
这件旧衣服我已经穿了好几年。Zhè jiàn jiù yī fu wǒ yǐ jīng chuān le hǎo jǐ nián.I have worn this old piece of clothing for several years.
Common words: 依旧 (yī jiù)、仍旧 (réng jiù)、陈旧 (chén jiù)
宿 sù / xiǔ / xiù — lodge for the night; old; former; (a) night; constellation
这次旅行，我们在山里的客栈住宿了一晚。Zhè cì lǚ xíng, wǒ men zài shān lǐ de kè zhàn zhù sù le yì wǎn.On this trip, we stayed overnight at an inn in the mountains.
Common words: 宿舍 (sù shè)、住宿 (zhù sù)、归宿 (guī sù)
昔 xī — past; former
和昔日的同学重逢，他十分高兴。Hé xī rì de tóng xué chóng féng, tā shí fēn gāo xìng.Reuniting with his former classmates, he was very happy.
Common words: 昔日 (xī rì)、昔年 (xī nián)、果昔 (guǒ xī)
All 6 characters
Open 前、先、原 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.