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前者

Mandarin · pinyin qián zhě

the former (i.e. the one mentioned first)

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Characters in this entry

前: qián · in front, forward; preceding
者: zhě · that which; he who; those who

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

2–3 · qian2 zhe3

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Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

cin4 ze2

Cantonese word readings for 前者. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

adv

(literary) previously

noun

the former (as opposed to the latter)

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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