Writing
先前 (xiān qián) — how to say "before" in Chinese
先前
Before, previously
noun
Character composition
先
before
前
front
Radicals / Keys
儿
Son, legs
#10 · ér · 2 strokes
刀
Knife
#18 · dāo · 2 strokes
Synonyms
Collocations
先前的情况
xiān qián de qíng kuàng
previous situation
先前的工作
xiān qián de gōng zuò
previous job
Examples
先前他住在这里
He lived here before
先前下雨了
It rained before
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Frequently asked questions
How to say before in Mandarin?
"before" in Chinese is 先前 (xiān qián).
What does 先前 mean in English?
先前 (xiān qián) means "Before, previously".
Before in Mandarin pinyin
It is pronounced xiān qián (written as xian qian, xianqian). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "before" in Chinese characters?
It is written 先前: 先 has 6 strokes, 前 has 9 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order of each character and lets you trace it.
What HSK 3.0 level is 先前?
先前 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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