English–Japanese

“before the war” in Japanese

Japanese

Pronunciation

Romajisenzen

Example

これは戦前の写真です。ko re wa sen zen no sha shin de su

This is a photo from before the war.

Illustration for 戦前 (before the war)

How to say “before the war” in Japanese

“Before the war” in Japanese is 戦前 (senzen).

戦前 (senzen) describes the time before a particular war and contrasts with the period after that war.

Full entry for 戦前: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 戦前

祖父は戦前に東京で働いていました。so fu wa sen zen ni tō kyō de hatara i te i ma shi ta

My grandfather worked in Tokyo before the war.

Tips for using 戦前

  • Because 戦前 (senzen) does not name the war, speakers use historical context to show which prewar period they mean.

“before the war” in other languages