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瞻前顧後

简瞻前顾后 · 繁瞻前顧後

Mandarin · pinyin zhān qián gù hòu

lit. to look forward and back (idiom)
fig. to consider carefully; to weigh the pros and cons
fig. to be overcautious and indecisive

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Characters in this entry

瞻: zhān · look; look out for; respect
前: qián · in front, forward; preceding
顧: Look up this written character
後: hòu · behind, rear, after; descendents
顾: gù · look back; look at; look after
后: hòu · queen, empress, sovereign; (simp. for 後) behind, rear, after

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

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Mandarin tones

1–2–4–4 · zhan1 qian2 gu4 hou4

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

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.

瞻前顧後 · find source passages ↗ · 瞻前顾后 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

zim1 cin4 gu3 hau6

Cantonese word readings for 瞻前顧後. 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.

phrase

(idiomatic) to be overcautious and indecisive

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

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