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前程 (qián chéng) — future prospects, career prospects

Definition

Literary/formal word for 'future prospects,' used in writing, speeches, and blessings (前程似锦). Near-synonym of 前途 and 前景, but more literary and tied specifically to career or personal destiny.

noun
future prospectscareer prospects
Easily confused

Examples

  • 前程，。
    Wèi le zì jǐ de qián chéng, tā jué dìng jì xù shēn zào.
    For the sake of his future prospects, he decided to pursue further studies.
  • 前程。
    Zhè cì shí xí duì tā de qián chéng hěn yǒu bāng zhù.
    This internship is very helpful for his career prospects.
  • ，！
    Zhù nǐ qián chéng sì jǐn, yí qiè shùn lì!
    Wishing you a brilliant future and all the best!

Origin

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.

前qiánahead
程chéngjourney/course

前 (ahead) and 程 (journey) make a forward journey, hence future prospects.

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
禾禾hégrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
呈
呈chéng程chéng
Same sound today

程 is made from 禾 (grain) and 呈 (pronounced chéng); the evidence gives measurements.

Open 程 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Success & FailureTime (Abstract)

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