Chinese Conversation · Level 3
86 words
Chinese word
饭前
Pronunciation
Pinyinfàn qián
Meaning
- nounbefore meals
Example
饭前最好不要喝水。fàn qián zuì hǎo bú yào hē shuǐ
It is best not to drink water before meals.
More examples
请在饭前先洗手。qǐng zài fàn qián xiān xí shǒu
Before meals, please wash your hands first.
Core concept
The time window that comes before eating begins.
Common phrases
饭前洗手fàn qián xí shǒu
wash hands before meals
饭前服药fàn qián fú yào
take medicine before meals
Similar words
餐前cān qián: The period before a meal, with a formal tone common in medical instructions.
就餐前jiù cān qián: The period before dining, used often in official notices and public guidance.
Definition in Chinese
表示在进餐动作发生之前的时段，可用作时间名词或时间状语，常用于提示行为或限定时间。biǎo shì zài jìn cān dòng zuò fā shēng zhī qián de shí duàn kě yòng zuò shí jiān míng cí huò shí jiān zhuàng yǔ cháng yòng yú tí shì xíng wéi huò xiàn dìng shí jiān
Word origin
The compound is built transparently from 饭 (fàn, "meal") and 前 (qián, "before"), so its meaning comes directly from its two parts.
Usage tips
- English often needs a preposition or a longer phrase for this timing, while Chinese uses this short compound as a natural time setting.
Opposites
- 饭后fàn hòuafter mealsnoun
- 餐后cān hòuafter mealsnoun