前人

Chinese

Etymology 1

		front, forepart; in front; past front, forepart; in front; past; former; previous; last; before; preceding; earlier; ago; future; time ahead; first; top; battlefront; to move forward	man; person; people
trad. (前人)		前	人
simp. #(前人)		前	人
anagram		人前

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): qiánrén

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄖㄣˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): cin⁴ jan⁴
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): chhièn-ngìn
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): chiân-lîn / chiân-jîn

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: qiánrén
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄖㄣˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ciánrén
    • Wade–Giles: chʻien²-jên²
    • Yale: chyán-rén
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chyanren
    • Palladius: цяньжэнь (cjanʹžɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵ ʐən³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: cin⁴ jan⁴
    • Yale: chìhn yàhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsin⁴ jan⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: qin⁴ yen⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰiːn²¹ jɐn²¹/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhièn-ngìn
    • Hakka Romanization System: qien^ˇ ngin^ˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: qian² ngin²
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰi̯en¹¹ ŋin¹¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiân-lîn
    • Tâi-lô: tsiân-lîn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: cienliin
    • IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou): /t͡siɛn²⁴⁻²² lin²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiân-jîn
    • Tâi-lô: tsiân-jîn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: cienjiin
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡siɛn¹³⁻²² d͡zin¹³/

Noun

前人

1. the ancients; people from ancient times; forefathers
2. predecessor
3. someone referred to above
4. someone whom one is facing; someone who is in front

   • 夫前人唾者，發於怒也，汝今拭之，是惡前人唾而拭，是逆前人怒也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     夫前人唾者，发于怒也，汝今拭之，是恶前人唾而拭，是逆前人怒也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: c. 12th century, 王讜, 《唐語林·雅量》

     Fú qiánrén tuò zhě, fā yú nù yě, rǔ jīn shì zhī, shì wù qiánrén tuò ér shì, shì nì qiánrén nù yě. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 後騎風相逐，前人影漸明。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     后骑风相逐，前人影渐明。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 17th century, 杜濬, 《拓皋早發》

     Hòuqí fēng xiāng zhú, qiánrén yǐng jiàn míng. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

   • 所以太原之人，一來錯認了前人之貌，二來誤聽了先入之言，起先既把假的當做真的，如今自然把真的當做假的了。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     所以太原之人，一来错认了前人之貌，二来误听了先入之言，起先既把假的当做真的，如今自然把真的当做假的了。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: 17th century, 李漁 (Li Yu), 《連城璧》, chapter 3

     Suǒyǐ Tàiyuán zhī rén, yīlái cuòrèn le qiánrén zhī mào, èrlái wùtīng le xiānrù zhī yán, qǐxiān jì bǎ jiǎ de dāngzuò zhēn de, rújīn zìrán bǎ zhēn de dāngzuò jiǎ de le. [Pinyin]

     (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Synonyms

• (the ancients):

edit

• 先人 (xiānrén)
• 先民 (xiānmín) (literary)
• 古人 (gǔrén)
• 古代人 (gǔdàirén)
• 古者 (gǔzhě) (literary)

Etymology 2

		front, forepart; in front; past front, forepart; in front; past; former; previous; last; before; preceding; earlier; ago; future; time ahead; first; top; battlefront; to move forward	man; person; people
trad. (前人)		前	人
simp. #(前人)		前	人
alternative forms		前儂／前侬
anagram		人前

Pronunciation

• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): chêng-lâng / chûiⁿ-lâng / chân-lâng

  (Teochew, Peng'im): zain⁵ nang⁵

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• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chêng-lâng
    • Tâi-lô: tsîng-lâng
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zenglaang
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡siɪŋ¹³⁻²² laŋ¹³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡siɪŋ²³⁻³³ laŋ²³/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /t͡siɪŋ²⁴⁻²² laŋ²⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /t͡siɪŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ laŋ²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chûiⁿ-lâng
    • Tâi-lô: tsuînn-lâng
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zvuilaang
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡suĩ²⁴⁻²² laŋ²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chân-lâng
    • Tâi-lô: tsân-lâng
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zanlaang
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡san¹³⁻²² laŋ¹³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: zain⁵ nang⁵
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tsâiⁿ nâng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sãĩ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ naŋ⁵⁵/

Note: Jieyang.

Noun

前人

1. (Southern Min) ex-wife

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 前妻 (“former wife; ex-wife”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		前妻
Northeastern Mandarin	Taiwan	前妻
Cantonese	Hong Kong	前妻
Southern Min	Xiamen	前某, 前儂
	Quanzhou	前某, 前儂
	Zhangzhou	前某, 前儂
	Tainan	前某
	Manila (Hokkien)	前某
	Jieyang	前儂

Derived terms

• 前人囝

Japanese

Kanji in this term
前	人
ぜん Grade: 2	じん Grade: 1
on'yomi

Noun

前(ぜん)人(じん) • (zenjin) 

1. predecessor
2. former people