🇻🇪 Help earthquake victims in Venezuela 🇻🇪
日

Nihongo

Classroom

What is the Kanji for 'Before' and 'Front'? | 前

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for 'Before' and 'Front', you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for 'Before' and 'Front' is 前.

    kanji

    前

    Meaning

    Before, Front

    Reading

    kunyomiまえ

    mae

    onyomiぜん

    zen

    Parts

    月Moon, Month 刂Sword (刀)䒑Herbs

    Example Word

    前: before or front. The Japanese noun '前 (まえ)' has two primary meanings. The first is 'front', referring to the forward-facing part or side of something. For example: the front of the house「家の前」(いえのまえ). The second meaning is 'before', indicating a time or event that precedes another. For example: before the meeting「会議の前」(かいぎのまえ). It's important to note that '前' can also be used in compound words to indicate precedence or priority, such as '前売り (まえうり)' meaning 'advance sale'. Additionally, '前' can be used in expressions like '前に (まえに)' to mean 'in front of' or 'before' in a temporal sense, as in 'before eating'「食べる前に」(たべるまえに).

    Radical

    刀

    Stroke Count

    9

    JLPT

    N5

    Grade

    2

    Frequency

    32

    Handwriting

Parts of the Kanji 前

If you visually break down this kanji, you can see it is made up of 3 parts:

    kanji

    月

    Meaning

    Moon, Month

    radical

    刂

    Meaning

    Sword

    radical

    䒑

    Meaning

    Herbs

前 As Part Of Other Kanji

This kanji appears as part of one other kanji:

    kanji

    煎

    Meaning

    Roast

Words Using 前

This kanji is used in 30 words:

    word

    前掲

    Meaning

    Aforementioned

    word

    前半

    Meaning

    First half

    word

    前回

    Meaning

    Last time

    word

    前提

    Meaning

    Premise

    word

    建て前

    Meaning

    Principle, Facade

    word

    戦前

    Meaning

    Prewar

    word

    出前

    Meaning

    Delivery

    word

    前売り券

    Meaning

    Advance, Ticket

    word

    御前

    Meaning

    You

    word

    前向き

    Meaning

    Positive

    word

    前方

    Meaning

    Front

    word

    昼前

    Meaning

    Before noon

    word

    人前

    Meaning

    Public

    word

    直前

    Meaning

    Just before

    word

    事前

    Meaning

    Advance, Prior

    word

    午前

    Meaning

    Morning, AM

    word

    前もって

    Meaning

    Beforehand

    word

    前

    Meaning

    Before, Front

    word

    前進

    Meaning

    Advance

    word

    名前

    Meaning

    Name

    word

    以前

    Meaning

    Before, Previously

    word

    前期

    Meaning

    First half

    word

    前日

    Meaning

    Previous day

    word

    手前

    Meaning

    Oneself, Front

    word

    前述

    Meaning

    Aforementioned

    word

    前者

    Meaning

    Former

    word

    前後

    Meaning

    Approximately, Before and after

    word

    前年

    Meaning

    Previous year

    word

    当たり前

    Meaning

    Natural, Obvious

    word

    駅前

    Meaning

    Station front

Kanji Related to 前 Through the Part 月

These 34 kanji contain the part 月 as well.

    kanji

    胞

    Meaning

    Placenta, Membranous sac

    kanji

    散

    Meaning

    Scatter

    kanji

    服

    Meaning

    Obey, Clothing

    kanji

    騰

    Meaning

    Rise, Inflation

    kanji

    脈

    Meaning

    Vein, Pulse

    kanji

    用

    Meaning

    Use

    kanji

    謄

    Meaning

    Copy, Mimeograph

    kanji

    有

    Meaning

    Exist

    kanji

    肥

    Meaning

    Fatten, Fertilize

    kanji

    朕

    Meaning

    Emporer, Majestic plural, Imperial we

    kanji

    胃

    Meaning

    Stomach

    kanji

    明

    Meaning

    Bright

    kanji

    脇

    Meaning

    Armpit

    kanji

    育

    Meaning

    Raise, Grow

    kanji

    勝

    Meaning

    Victory

    kanji

    朝

    Meaning

    Morning

    kanji

    臆

    Meaning

    Cowardice

    kanji

    期

    Meaning

    Time, Period

    kanji

    膨

    Meaning

    Swell

    kanji

    青

    Meaning

    Blue

    kanji

    胸

    Meaning

    Chest, Breast

    kanji

    胴

    Meaning

    Trunk

    kanji

    朗

    Meaning

    Clear, Cheerful

    kanji

    腹

    Meaning

    Abdomen

    kanji

    肘

    Meaning

    Arm, Elbow

    kanji

    腕

    Meaning

    Ability, Arm

    kanji

    膳

    Meaning

    Tray, Small low table

    kanji

    豚

    Meaning

    Pig, Pork

    kanji

    膜

    Meaning

    Membrane

    kanji

    惰

    Meaning

    Lazy

    kanji

    腫

    Meaning

    Swelling, Tumor

    kanji

    望

    Meaning

    Hope, Ambition

    kanji

    腎

    Meaning

    Kidney

    kanji

    祭

    Meaning

    Ritual

Kanji Related to 前 Through the Part 刂

These 26 kanji contain the part 刂 as well.

    kanji

    剣

    Meaning

    Sword

    kanji

    劇

    Meaning

    Drama

    kanji

    制

    Meaning

    System, Control

    kanji

    刹

    Meaning

    Temple

    kanji

    刑

    Meaning

    Punish

    kanji

    則

    Meaning

    Rule

    kanji

    判

    Meaning

    Judge, Stamp

    kanji

    班

    Meaning

    Group, Squad

    kanji

    到

    Meaning

    Reach, Arrival

    kanji

    剛

    Meaning

    Strength, Sturdy

    kanji

    割

    Meaning

    Divide, Split

    kanji

    刻

    Meaning

    Engrave

    kanji

    副

    Meaning

    Secondary

    kanji

    刺

    Meaning

    Stab

    kanji

    列

    Meaning

    File

    kanji

    剖

    Meaning

    Divide, Cut up

    kanji

    剰

    Meaning

    Surplus

    kanji

    刷

    Meaning

    Printing

    kanji

    刊

    Meaning

    Publish, Edition

    kanji

    剤

    Meaning

    Medicine, Dose

    kanji

    削

    Meaning

    Plane, Cut by chipping

    kanji

    別

    Meaning

    Separate

    kanji

    利

    Meaning

    Profit, Advantage

    kanji

    創

    Meaning

    Create

    kanji

    帰

    Meaning

    Return

    kanji

    刈

    Meaning

    Reap, Clip

Kanji Related to 前 Through the Part 䒑

These 7 kanji contain the part 䒑 as well.

    kanji

    立

    Meaning

    Stand

    kanji

    豆

    Meaning

    Beans

    kanji

    業

    Meaning

    Business

    kanji

    岡

    Meaning

    Hill

    kanji

    首

    Meaning

    Neck

    kanji

    従

    Meaning

    Follow, Obey

    kanji

    並

    Meaning

    Line, Row

Learn the Kanji 前

Let's make sure you fully understand this kanji.

What does 前 mean?

前 means 'Before' and 'Front'.

Japanese school students learn this kanji in Second Grade, while non-native learners often study it for the JLPT N5 exam.

To help you master this kanji, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.