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从前 (cóng qián) — formerly; in the past; once upon a time

Definition

A time word for the distant past, commonly used to open stories ("Once upon a time…"). More literary and far-reaching than 以前, which just means "before."

noun
formerlyin the pastonce upon a time

Examples

  • 从前，。
    cóng qián Yǒu yí gè rén, tā měi tiān dōu qù shān shàng kǎn chái.
    Once upon a time there was a man who went to the mountain every day to cut firewood.
  • 从前，。
    cóng qián Wǒ bù xǐ huan yùn dòng, xiàn zài měi tiān dōu huì pǎo bù.
    I didn't like exercise before, but now I run every day.
  • 从前，。
    cóng qián Zhè lǐ shì yí gè xiǎo cūn zi, xiàn zài yǐ jīng biàn chéng dà chéng shì le.
    This place used to be a small village, but now it has become a big city.

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.

从cóngfrom
前qiánbefore

从 marks a source and 前 means 'before', so the whole points to the past.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 從; 从 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
从
从cóng從cóng
Same sound today

The traditional form 從 pairs 辵 (walk) with 从, which gives the sound; the character was originally written 从.

Open 从 →

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 →
Appears in
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