前程

qiánchéng
noun #8,977

Meanings

  1. 1 future; prospects; career prospects
  2. 2 journey ahead

Characters

Ahead + journey — the road that lies ahead, one's future path.

Examples

Tā de qiánchéng yīpiàn guāngmíng.
His future looks bright.
Bié wèile xiǎoshì huǐ le zìjǐ de qiánchéng.
Don't ruin your future over trivial matters.
Fùmǔ dōu xīwàng háizi yǒu hǎo qiánchéng.
All parents hope their children have good prospects.

Tips

usage
前程 is more literary than 前途 (qiántú), which is more common in everyday speech. Both mean 'future/prospects,' but 前程 often appears in set phrases like 前程似锦 (a bright future like brocade) and 前程 (splendid future).
memory
Think of 前程 as 'the journey () ahead ()' — your career path stretching into the future.

In Pop Culture

远大前程 Yuǎndà Qiánchéng
Great Expectations
Chinese title of Dickens' novel — literally 'far-reaching future'

Stroke Order

qián
chéng