前 means “front, before”

まえ · mae

Also: in front

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

まえ

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ゼン

JLPT N5 · Taught in grade 2 · 9 strokes

The story

A boat cutting forward through water while a blade clears the way. Stand before a shrine gate and everything ahead is 前: in Japanese, space and the future share one word.

Used in 名前 (namae, name), 午前 (gozen, morning/a.m.), and 駅前 (ekimae, in front of the station)

Words with 前

• 午前 (ごぜん, gozen): morning / AM
• 名前 (なまえ, namae): name

More from Compass & Position

• 上 above
• 東 east
• 方 direction
• 外 outside
• 下 below
• 以 from
• 区 ward
• 北 north
• 所 place
• 西 west
• 南 south
• 図 map

Learn 前 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.