未然

wèirán
noun

Meanings

  1. 1 what has not yet happened; before it happens

Examples

HSK 6
Dìngqī jiǎnchá shēntǐ, kěyǐ fánghuàn yú wèirán.
Regular check-ups can head off health problems before they start.
HSK 7-9
Yǔqí shìhòu bǔjiù, bùrú fángfàn yú wèirán.
Rather than fixing things afterwards, it's better to guard against them before they happen.

Tips

usage
Only after 于 or 在, mostly in 防患于未然 'to prevent trouble before it happens'. Its opposite is 已然 'what has already happened'. 然 here is 'so, thus', so 未然 is 'not yet so'.

Stroke Order

未 wèi
然 rán