前后

前後

qiánhòu

noun HSK 3 #9,493

Meanings

前后一共花了三个小时。

Qiánhòu yīgòng huā le sān gè xiǎoshí.

It took about three hours altogether.

春节前后很多人回家。

Chūnjié qiánhòu hěnduō rén huíjiā.

Many people go home around the Spring Festival.

这件事情前后矛盾。

Zhè jiàn shìqing qiánhòu máodùn.

This matter is contradictory from beginning to end.

grammar

前后 can mean 'approximately' with time (三点前后 = around 3 o'clock) or 'from start to finish' (前后三年 = over a period of three years).

前 qián

后 hòu