cin4 hau6前後前后
Jyutpingcin4 hau6
Yalechìhn hauh
Definition
Front and back, or around a certain period of time.
- front and back; in front of and behind
- around; approximately; from beginning to end
colloquialplacestime
How it's used
Beyond describing physical space, this term is frequently used to estimate time frames by placing it after a specific event or date. It implies a duration spanning both before and after the reference point, rather than just one side. When used for time, it often pairs with words like 左右 to indicate an approximate range.
Examples
He planted many flowers both in front of and behind his house.
This incident happened around the Chinese New Year period.
Related words
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
