前 — how to write the kanji for “in front”

前 (“in front” and “before”) is a JLPT N5 kanji taught in second grade in Japan. In newspapers it is one of the hundred most used kanji (27th). Its parts: 八 (“eight”), strokes 1–2; 月 (“moon or flesh”), strokes 4–7; 刂 (“knife”), strokes 8–9, each finished before the next. On its own it is the word zen, “last; previous”. Read zen, it forms 前年 (“the preceding year”), 午前 (“morning”) and 前半 (“first half”); the native reading mae gives 名前 (“name”). Chinese reads it qián, “front”, at HSK 1.

Strokes: 9
JLPT: N5
Radical: 刀 (“sword”)
On: ゼン
Kun: -まえ, まえ

Stroke by stroke

Dot ㇔top leftdown and right
Left-falling stroke ㇒top rightdown and left
Horizontal ㇐top leftrightwards
Vertical ㇑leftdownwards
Horizontal-turn-hook ㇆leftrightwards → downwards
Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
Horizontal ㇐bottom leftrightwards
Vertical ㇑centerdownwards
Vertical hook ㇚rightdownwards

Japanese and Chinese

Japanese and Chinese draw all 9 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.

Japanese · KanjiVG · 9 strokes

Chinese · Make Me a Hanzi · 9 strokes

Trace it

Follow the numbers. Tracing help

Readings

On (Chinese-derived): ゼン zen
Kun (native): -まえ -mae, まえ mae (rare)
Meanings: in front; before
Read zen: 前年午前前半前回前提前日
Read mae: 名前
School year: second grade
Newspaper rank: 27th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
Korean hanja: 전 jeon
Common words: 81 in JMdict

On and kun, explained

Words with 前

Word	Reading	Meaning
前年	ぜんねん zennen	the preceding year; the previous year
午前	ごぜん gozen	morning; a.m.
前半	ぜんはん zenhan	first half
前回	ぜんかい zenkai	previous time; last time
前提	ぜんてい zentei	condition; assumption
前日	ぜんじつ zenjitsu	previous day; day before
名前	なまえ namae	name; given name
直前	ちょくぜん chokuzen	just before; just prior to
事前	じぜん jizen	prior; beforehand
以前	いぜん izen	before; prior to

Most common first (JMdict).

Practice sheet

Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.

Keep going

Same parts:

JLPT N5, in list order: