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前言

Mandarin · pinyin qián yán

preface; foreword; introduction; preamble
earlier remarks; earlier words
(literary) words of the ancient thinkers

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Characters in this entry

前: qián · in front, forward; preceding
言: yán · words, speech; speak, say; Kangxi radical 149

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Mandarin tones

2–2 · qian2 yan2

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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 jin4

Cantonese word readings for 前言. 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.

noun

earlier remarks
preface; foreword; introductory remarks; preamble; prelude

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

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