前端 (qián duān) — front end, forepart (of an object, vehicle, etc…

Definition

Means 'front end' in two senses: the physical front part of an object, and the client-side of a software system (vs 后端, the server-side).

noun

front endforepart (of an object, vehicle, etc.)(computing) front end (client-side of a web/app system)

Measure word · 个

前端。
Zhè liàng chē de qián duān shè jì hěn shí shàng.
The front-end design of this car is very stylish.
前端，JavaScript。
Zuò wéi yì míng qián duān gōng chéng shī, tā zhǔ yào xiě JavaScript.
As a front-end engineer, he mainly writes JavaScript.
前端。
Wǒ men gōng sī de qián duān hé hòu duān tuán duì zhèng zài hé zuò kāi fā zhè ge xīn xiàng mù.
Our company's front-end and back-end teams are collaborating on this new project.

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 gives the front, and 端 gives the end.

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.

立耑端

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

耑

耑zhuān端duān

Same sound today

端 is made by putting 立 beside 耑. The 立 part is connected to the meaning, and 耑 gives the sound.

Appears in