前天
HSK 3 (exam 2025)HSK 1 (2021)
前天 (qiántiān) · day before yesterday
前天 (qiántiān) means “day before yesterday”. It is written with 2 characters: 前 (front) + 天 (day). It is an HSK 3 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 前天 is built
The characters
前 qián · front
What 前 is made of
- 丷ha — kwukyel
- 丶 — dot
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 刖yuè — cutting off the feet as a form of punishment
- 月yuè — moon; month
- 冂 — frame
- 二 — two strokes
- 刂dāo — knife
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 亅 — hook
- 月yuè — moon; month
天 tiān · day
What 天 is made of
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 大dà — big
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 人rén — person
Origin hint: The heavens 一 above a man 大 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
前天我去看电影了。Qiántiān wǒ qù kàn diànyǐng le.I went to see a movie the day before yesterday.
你前天去哪儿了？Nǐ qiántiān qù nǎr le?Where did you go the day before yesterday?
Questions about 前天
What does 前天 mean?
前天 (qiántiān) means “day before yesterday”.
How do you pronounce 前天?
前天 is pronounced qiántiān.
Which HSK level is 前天?
前天 is in HSK 3 (exam 2025) and HSK 1 (2021).
Related words
- 前边qiánbianin front
- 面前miànqiánin front of
- 前年qiánniánthe year before last
- 以前yǐqiánbefore
- 从前cóngqiánbefore
- 目前mùqiánat present
- 前后qiánhòuaround (a time)
- 前进qiánjìnto go forward
- 前面qiánmiànin front
- 前往qiánwǎngto go to
Learn 前天 with its group
It is part of HSK 1 (2021) · Group 44: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.