前后

• Pinyin: qián hòu
• Hanzi breakdown: 前 = 止 (foot) + 刂 (knife), originally meaning to advance; 后 = simplified from 後, meaning behind or after

Meaning

Before and after; front and back; around (a point in time). Indicates a range spanning both sides of a reference point.

Used spatially to mean front and back (房子前后 = front and back of the house), and temporally to mean around a particular time (春节前后 = around Chinese New Year). Can also mean from beginning to end (前后花了三天 = took about three days altogether). Very versatile in both written and spoken Chinese.

Examples

1. 春节前后是回家过年的高峰期。 Around Chinese New Year is the peak period for travelling home.
2. 这件事前后花了将近一个月的时间。 This matter took nearly a month altogether.
3. 学校前后都种了很多花和树。 There are many flowers and trees planted in front of and behind the school.

Usage Guide

Context: time expressions, spatial descriptions, narratives

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 国庆节前后天气很舒服。(The weather is very pleasant around National Day.)
• 这本书我前后读了三遍。(I read this book three times from start to finish.)

Don't Say

• 我前后去了北京。(Don't use 前后 to simply mean 'previously went' — it implies a span or range. Say 之前 or 以前 for 'before.')

Origin & History

前 means front or before; 后 means back or after. Combined, they form a complementary pair covering both directions in space or time.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal