前言

qiányán

noun #35,649

Meanings

1 preface; foreword; introduction (of a book or document)
2 earlier remarks; words said earlier

Characters

Examples

请先读一下书的前言。

Qǐng xiān dú yíxià shū de qiányán.

Please read the book's preface first.

他这是前言不搭后语。

Tā zhè shì qiányán bù dā hòuyǔ.

What he's saying — his earlier and later words don't match up.

Tips

usage

Two distinct uses: (1) book preface — same slot as 序言 (xùyán); 前言 sounds slightly more functional, 序言 more literary. (2) Set phrase 前言不搭后语 (qiányán bù dā hòuyǔ) — 'incoherent, contradicting oneself', literally 'earlier words don't match later words'.

Stroke Order

前 qián

言 yán