Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 前 originally depicted a foot (止/足) on a boat (舟), symbolizing 'to advance' or 'move forward' across water. Over time, the composition evolved - the boat element simplified and the foot element transformed. In its modern form 前, the original components are no longer visually obvious, but the core meaning of 'forward,' 'front,' or 'before' has been maintained throughout its evolution from ancient bronze scripts to seal script and finally to standard kanji. Arrived in Japan: The character 前 arrived in Japan around the 5th-6th centuries CE, during the period when Chinese writing system was introduced to Japan through cultural exchange with China and the Korean peninsula. It was incorporated into the Japanese writing system as part of the kanji imported during the Asuka and Nara periods, appearing in early Japanese texts like the Kojiki (712 CE) and Manyoshu (8th century).