前例 (qián lì) — precedent | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

precedent

Easily confused

前例。
Zhè ge jué dìng méi yǒu qián lì kě yǐ cān kǎo.
There is no precedent to refer to for this decision.
前例。
Lì shǐ shàng méi yǒu zhè yàng de qián lì.
There is no such precedent in history.
前例。
Tā men kāi chuàng le yí gè xīn de qián lì.
They created a new precedent.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

例lìexample

“前” means previous and “例” means example, so the word means an earlier example or precedent.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

In the older form of 前, 止 (foot) and 舟 (boat) showed a foot on a boat moving forward; in the current 前 those parts are shortened.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

亻列例

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rén

Sound part声符shēngfú

列

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

例 is built from 亻, which relates to people, and 列, which gives the sound.