Japanese Conversation · Level 110
60 words
Japanese word
前兆
Pronunciation
Romajizenchō
Meaning
- nounsign
Example
暖かい風は春の訪れの前兆です。atata ka i kaze wa haru no otozu re no zen chō de su
The warm wind is a sign of spring's arrival.
More examples
空の色の変化は、嵐の前兆です。sora no iro no hen ka wa arashi no zen chō de su
A change in the color of the sky is a sign of a storm.
Core concept
Marks an early clue that points toward an event before the event itself occurs.
Common phrases
前兆が現れるzen chō ga arawa re ru
a sign appears
前兆を感じるzen chō o kan ji ru
sense a sign
Similar words
前触れmaebure: A sign that gives advance notice of an approaching event.
兆しkizashi: A first sign of a change, development, or event.
兆候chōkō: A sign that indicates an emerging condition or likely event.
予兆yochō: An advance sign that points to a coming event, often an unwelcome one.
Definition in Japanese
将来の出来事の起こりを前もって示すしるし。shō rai no de ki goto no o ko ri o mae mo tte shime su shi ru shi
Word origin
The compound joins 前 (zen, "before") with 兆 (chō, "sign or omen") to express a sign that comes before what it indicates.
Usage tips
- Harbinger usually refers to something that announces an approaching event, while 前兆 (zenchō) is a more general noun for a sign of what is to come.
Other meanings
- omennoun
- harbingernoun