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前台 (qián tái) — front desk, reception desk; stage, proscenium; (computing) front-end

Definition

前台 covers three distinct uses: a hotel/office 'front desk' (compare 柜台, the retail sales counter), the stage/proscenium of a theater (paired with 后台 'backstage'), and the computing 'front-end' of software.

noun
front deskreception deskstageproscenium(computing) front-end
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 前台。
    Wǒ zài jiǔ diàn qián tái bàn lǐ rù zhù shǒu xù.
    I checked in at the hotel front desk.
  • 前台。
    Zhè ge ruǎn jiàn de qián tái shè jì dé fēi cháng jiǎn jié.
    The front-end design of this software is very clean.
  • 前台，。
    Yǎn yuán men dōu zài qián tái biǎo yǎn, guān zhòng kàn dé hěn qīng chǔ.
    The actors are all performing on the stage, and the audience can see them clearly.

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qiánfront
台táiplatform

前 (front) and 台 (platform or desk) together mean a front desk or stage.

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 臺; 台 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 台 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (窗台, 电视台) it is 臺; in others (台灯, 台球) (台风) it is 檯 or 台 or 颱.

The traditional form 臺 is the 喬 + 室 form; earlier versions combined a sound part with 室, and an old reading saw it as a watch tower.

Open 台 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Workplace & Office

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