[No.0043 Kanji] Front/Before *Casual Expression*

Hi. It's around 5:00 am in the States here. I'll heading back to Japan tonight.
(やっほー。今ここアメリカは朝の５時。今夜日本に帰るよ。）
(yahho-. imakokoamerikaha asanogoji, konyanihonnikaeruyo)

Today's kanji might be a little bit confusing even though the stroke is easy.
(今日の漢字は書くのは簡単だけど、少し混乱させちゃうかもしれない）
(kyounokanjiha kakunohkantandakedo, sukoshikonransasechaukamoshirenai)

Example1:

• In front of me, a famous actor was walking.
  (ぼくの前を、有名な俳優が歩いていた。）
  (bokunomaewo, yuumeinahaiyuuga aruiteita)


• I have seen him before, but I can't remember where it was.
  (彼は前に見たことがあるんだけど、どこで見たか思い出せない。）
  (karehamenimitakotogaarundakedo, dokodemitaka omoidasenai)

Do you understand 前's meaning?
(「前」の意味わかった？）
(maenoimiwakatta?)

It has 2 meanings, one is "in front of" and another is "before", "last time", or something like that.
(２つ意味があって、１つは"in front of"、もう１つは"before"とか"last time"とか。)
(futatsuimigaatte, hitotsuha-, mouhitotsuha-toka-toka)

In both sentences, it is pronounced "mae".
(どちらの文章でも、「まえ」と発音するんだ）
(dochiranobunsyoudemo, maetohatsuonsurunda)

However if 前 is continuously next to other kanji, then it is pronounced "zen".
(だけど、もし「前」が他の漢字と隣合わせになっていたら、「ぜん」と発音するんだよ)
(dakedo, moshi「前」gahokanokanjito tonariawaseni natteitara, zen to hatsuon surundayo)

I'll give you an example.
(例をあげるね）
(reiwo agerune)

Example2:

• 前回は負けてしまった
  (zenkaiha maketeshimatta)
  (Last time, I lost.)
  


• 前は負けてしまった
  (maeha maketeshimatta)
  (Last time, I lost.)

Do you catch what I mean?
伝わったかな？
(tsutawattakana?)

Possibly this might be not a problem of kanji, but of a word.
(もしかしたら漢字の問題というよりは単語の問題かもしれないね）
(moshikashitara kanjinomondaitoiuyoriha tangonomondaikamoshirenaine)

Once you learn these words, you'll be able to use it next time.
(一度覚えちゃえば、次からは使えると思うよ)
(ichidooboechaeba, tsugikaraha tsukaerutoomouyo)


And at last, I have a thing to tell you.
Our Facebook page, which is a page of an owner of this Kanji blog, have got more than 3,000 likes on Facebook! Yeah!  And for celebration, we're doing a present event there. If you want Japanese something, visit the page from here and follow the instruction!

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• Casual Expression
• Polite Expression
• Business Expression

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