前夕

qiánxī

noun HSK 7 #15,534

Meanings

1 eve
2 the day before
3 on the verge of

Characters

before; previous

Examples

在国庆节前夕，城市到处张灯结彩。

Zài Guóqìngjié qiánxī, chéngshì dàochù zhāngdēngjiécǎi.

On the eve of National Day, the city was decorated everywhere.

战争爆发前夕，人们纷纷逃离。

Zhànzhēng bàofā qiánxī, rénmen fēnfēn táolí.

On the eve of the outbreak of war, people fled one after another.

Tips

usage

前夕 is used for significant events (holidays, wars, revolutions), not for ordinary days. For casual use, say 前一天 (the day before).

Stroke Order

前 qián

夕 xī