KanjiSchool KanjiSchool
KanjiGrade 2 › 前
Kyōiku Kanji

前 — before / front

Grade 2ぜん, まえ

前 (readings: ぜん, まえ; Japanese kanji) means “before / front”. It is a Grade 2 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 2 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 名前 (name).

What does 前 mean?

Kanji
Meaningbefore / front
Readingsぜん, まえ
GradeGrade 2 (Easy)
CurriculumKyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school

How to read 前

前 is read ぜん or まえ depending on the word.

Example words with 前

Example名前 (name)
Practice writing 前 — free
See 前's stroke order, take a quiz, and add it to your spaced-repetition review. KanjiSchool teaches all 1,026 Kyōiku kanji through real stories and news.
Start free — no credit card →
Updated: 2026-07-14