前瞻性 (qián zhān xìng) — foresight; forward-looking quality; perspicacity

Definition

A formal noun for 'foresight' — the quality of planning ahead and considering future consequences, as in policies, research, or strategy. Reads as a written, abstract noun, not a casual everyday word.

noun
foresightforward-looking qualityperspicacity

Examples

  • 前瞻性，。
    Zhè ge jì huà hěn yǒu qián zhān xìng, kǎo lǜ le wèi lái shí nián de fā zhǎn.
    This plan has great foresight — it considers development over the next ten years.
  • 前瞻性，。
    Gōng sī xū yào jiā qiáng qián zhān xìng yán jiū, cái néng yìng duì shì chǎng biàn huà.
    The company needs to strengthen its forward-looking research in order to respond to market changes.
  • 前瞻性。
    Quē fá qián zhān xìng de zhèng cè wǎng wǎng huì dǎo zhì cháng qī wèn tí.
    Policies lacking foresight often lead to long-term problems.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

前瞻look forward
前qiánforward瞻zhānlook
偏正Modifier + head
性xìngquality

“前瞻” means looking forward, and “性” gives the sense of a quality or tendency, so the word means farsightedness.

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.

Open 前 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
目目mùeye
Sound part声符shēngfú
詹
詹zhān瞻zhān
Same sound today

瞻 puts 目, an eye, beside 詹, which gives the sound.

Open 瞻 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng性xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

性 is built from 忄 (the heart) and 生 (a sound clue). The heart part connects the word to a person's inner nature or quality.

Open 性 →

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