前者 (qián zhě) — how to say "the former" in Chinese

前者

The former

noun

Character composition

前

before, front

者

one who; suffix

Radicals / Keys

老

Old

#125 · lǎo · 6 strokes

刀

Knife

#18 · dāo · 2 strokes

Collocations

选择前者

xuǎn zé qián zhě

choose the former

Examples

前者比后者更努力。

The former is more diligent than the latter.

前者是老师。

The former is a teacher.

Writing

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Frequently asked questions

Former meaning in Chinese

"the former" in Chinese is 前者 (qián zhě).

前者 meaning in English

前者 (qián zhě) means "The former".

How is 前者 pronounced?

It is pronounced qián zhě (written as qian zhe, qianzhe). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.

How do you write "the former" in Chinese characters?

It is written 前者: 前 has 9 strokes, 者 has 8 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order of each character and lets you trace it.

What HSK 3.0 level is 前者?

前者 is on the HSK 3.0 level 6 word list. It is not part of the six-level HSK 2.0 lists.

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