Chinese word

前夕

Pronunciation

Pinyinqián xī

Meaning

  • nouneve

Example

比赛的前夕，他在认真训练。bǐ sài de qián xī tā zài rèn zhēn xùn liàn

On the eve of the competition, he trained hard.

Illustration for 前夕 (eve)

More examples

婚礼的前夕，新娘还在化妆。hūn lǐ de qián xī xīn niáng hái zài huà zhuāng

On the eve of the wedding, the bride is still putting on makeup.

Core concept

The evening that sits immediately before an event, with the event already close in time.

Common phrases

  • 新年的前夕xīn nián de qián xī

    New Year's Eve

  • 比赛的前夕bǐ sài de qián xī

    eve of the competition

  • 婚礼的前夕hūn lǐ de qián xī

    eve of the wedding

Similar words

前夜qián yè: The night directly before an event, marking the time just ahead of it.

Definition in Chinese

指在某事发生前的夜晚，侧重表示该夜与事件之间时间上的临近关系。zhǐ zài mǒu shì fā shēng qián de yè wǎn cè zhòng biǎo shì gāi yè yǔ shì jiàn zhī jiān shí jiān shàng de lín jìn guān xì

Word origin

前夕 (qiánxī, "eve") combines 前 (qián, "before") with 夕 (xī, "evening"), placing the evening directly before an event.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, this word has a formal, written tone, while 前一天晚上 (qián yì tiān wǎnshang, "the previous evening") often sounds more natural for a specific night.

Opposites

Word lists with this word