前 (qián) — Ago in Mandarin

qián

“Ago”

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#118 most common word

Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.

Tone breakdown

前 is pronounced qián. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.

qián

second tone (rising, ˊ)

In a sentence

yī nián qián wǒ zài nàli.

One year ago I was there.

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Frequently asked questions

What does 前 mean?+

前 (qián) means "Ago" in Mandarin Chinese.

How do you pronounce 前?+

前 is pronounced qián. It uses the tone 2 (rising). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.

How common is 前 in Mandarin?+

前 is the #118 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.

Words at a similar frequency

to believe; to think; to consider; to feel

成为

chéng wéi

to become; to turn into

Master the tones first

Mandarin tones explained

What each tone sounds like and why it matters.

Tone sandhi rules

Why some tones change in connected speech.

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Browse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.