KaiwaGo前 kanji: meaning, readings and stroke order
前 means “before, front”. It is written with 9 strokes and is a JLPT N5 kanji.
On’yomi: ゼン (zen). Kun’yomi: まえ (mae).
How to write 前 (stroke order)
Write 前 in 9 strokes, following the numbers. Each small box adds one stroke; the red line is the stroke to draw.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
General rules: top before bottom, left before right, horizontal before a vertical that crosses it, and a closing bottom stroke last. Writing in the right order makes handwriting readable and helps you count strokes when you look a kanji up.
Practice writing 前
Trace 前 over the faint model with your finger or mouse, following the stroke order above. Turn the model off to write it from memory.
Readings of 前
| On’yomi (Chinese reading) | ゼン (zen) |
|---|---|
| Kun’yomi (Japanese reading) | まえ (mae) |
The on’yomi is usually used in compound words, the kun’yomi when 前 stands alone or is followed by hiragana. A dot (.) marks where the hiragana ending starts.
Example words with 前
| Word | Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 前 | まえ mae | front | |
| 名前 | なまえ namae | name |
前 (mae) means “front”.
名前 (namae) means “name”. Also in this word: 名
FAQ
What does 前 mean in Japanese?
前 means “before, front”. Common words with it are 前 (mae, “front”) and 名前 (namae, “name”).
How many strokes does 前 have?
前 has 9 strokes. Follow the stroke-order diagram on this page from stroke 1 to 9.
How do you read 前?
The on’yomi is ゼン (zen) and the kun’yomi is まえ (mae). Which one is used depends on the word.
Is 前 on the JLPT N5?
Yes. 前 is kanji number 31 of the 101 N5 kanji on this site.