前夜

qiányè

noun #11,320

Meanings

1 the eve
2 the night before
3 on the eve of

Characters

Examples

圣诞前夜，全家人围坐在壁炉旁。

Shèngdàn qiányè, quánjiā rén wéizuò zài bìlú páng.

On Christmas Eve, the whole family sat around the fireplace.

考试前夜他紧张得睡不着。

Kǎoshì qiányè tā jǐnzhāng de shuì bù zháo.

The night before the exam, he was too nervous to sleep.

Tips

usage

前夜 is more literary than 前天晚上 (the night before). Often used for significant events: 战争前夜 (eve of war), 革命前夜 (eve of revolution).

Stroke Order

前 qián

夜 yè