从前
cóng qián · HSK 3
previously
⏳ 从 = follow + 前 = before; following what came before = formerly
从 means 'follow/from' and 前 means 'front/before/earlier'. Together they point to an earlier time — 'from before' = previously or once upon a time. Common story opener: 从前有... = 'once upon a time there was...'
从 — two 人 (person) figures, one following the other
从 is a pictographic compound showing one person walking behind another, vividly depicting the act of following. The original meaning 'to follow' was extended to 'from' (the starting point one follows out of) and 'to obey'. The traditional form 從 added 辵 (movement) and 止 (foot) to reinforce the walking sense.
前 — top 丷 + 一 + 月 (moon) + 刂 (knife)
Originally written 歬, depicting a foot 止 above a boat 舟, meaning to advance or go forward. Over time the form evolved and the knife radical 刂 was added, while 止 and 舟 fused into the modern shape. The core meaning 'front, before, ahead' has stayed consistent.