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 "previous"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "previous", including 前 (qián), 往 (wǎng / wàng). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "previous" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 前 (qián), 往 (wǎng / wàng) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span qián, wǎng, wàng — 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
- 往 wǎng / wàngto go (in a direction); past; previous; towards; toward; (of a train) bound forUseful words: 前往, 交往
Common words for these 2 "previous" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 前 (qián) — so "previous" 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前往qián wǎngto leave for; to proceed towards; to go to交往jiāo wǎngto associate (with); to have contact (with); to hang out (with); to date往往wǎng wǎngusually; in many cases; more often than not
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 2 ways to say "previous".
往 wǎng / wàng — to go (in a direction); past; previous; towards; toward; (of a train) bound for
这趟火车开往上海。Zhè tàng huǒ chē kāi wǎng Shàng hǎi.This train is heading to Shanghai.
Common words: 前往 (qián wǎng)、交往 (jiāo wǎng)、往往 (wǎng wǎng)
All 2 characters
Open 前、往 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.