前边
qián bian · HSK 1
in front of
⬅️🚶 前 = front/before + 边 = side/edge — literally 'front-side'
前 means front or before (think 'previous'), and 边 means side or edge (as in 边境 border). Together 前边 is the front-side, used like 'in front of' for spatial position.
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.
边 — 辶 (walk) + 臱 (phonetic)
边 is the simplified form of 邊. It combines the walking radical 辶 with the phonetic component 臱, suggesting a place reached by walking — the edge or border of a territory. The meaning extended from 'frontier' to 'side' or 'edge' in general.