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前边 (qián bian) — the front (side or area); in front of

Definition

A colloquial, directional noun meaning 'the front' or 'in front of.' Pairs with 后面 ('the back') and 前面的 with no real near-synonym confusion — just a position word.

noun
the front (side or area)in front of

Examples

  • 前边。
    Qǐng zhàn zài wǒ de qián bian.
    Please stand in front of me.
  • 前边。
    qián bian Yǒu yí gè hěn dà de tíng chē chǎng.
    There's a very big parking lot up ahead.
  • 前边，。
    Tā zǒu dào qián bian, gěi wǒ men dài lù.
    He walked to the front and led the way for us.

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
边biānside

Front and side combine to mean the area in front.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 邊; 边 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuòwalking; movement
Sound part声符shēngfú
臱
臱mián邊biān(r)
Same sound today

The traditional form 邊 pairs 辶 (walking; movement) with the sound part 臱; the simplified 边 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 边 →
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