Chinese symbol for “forerunner”
前身
qián shēn
forerunner; predecessor; precursor; previous incarnation (Buddhism)
The closest CC-CEDICT match for forerunner is 前身 (qián shēn), defined as: forerunner; predecessor; precursor; previous incarnation (Buddhism); jacket front.
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Characters and stroke order
Other Chinese words for “forerunner”
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 先行者 | xiān xíng zhě | forerunner |
| 先河 | xiān hé | source; precursor; forerunner |
| 先导 (先導) | xiān dǎo | to lead the way; guide; forerunner; pioneer |
Related words
Other words that share a character with 前身.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 目前 | mù qián | at the present time; currently |
| 之前 | zhī qián | before; prior to |
| 以前 | yǐ qián | before; formerly |
| 前往 | qián wǎng | to leave for; to proceed towards; to go to |
| 面前 | miàn qián | in front of; facing |
| 当前 (當前) | dāng qián | the present time; to be faced with |
| 身体 (身體) | shēn tǐ | the body; one's health |
| 身上 | shēn shang | on the body; at hand |
See also: Japanese symbol for “forerunner”.
Data: CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0); Unihan Database (Unicode License v3); Make Me a Hanzi (Arphic Public License (graphics.txt); LGPL-3.0-or-later (dictionary.txt)); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.