前途

Chinese

		front, forepart; in front; past front, forepart; in front; past; former; previous; last; before; preceding; earlier; ago; future; time ahead; first; top; battlefront; to move forward	way; route; road
trad. (前途)		前	途
simp. ^#(前途)		前	途

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): qiántú

(Zhuyin): ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄊㄨˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): cin⁴ tou⁴
Hakka (Sixian, PFS): chhièn-thù
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): chiân-tô͘ / chêng-tô͘
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶zhi-du

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)
  - Hanyu Pinyin: qiántú
  - Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄊㄨˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: ciántú
  - Wade–Giles: chʻien²-tʻu²
  - Yale: chyán-tú
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chyantwu
  - Palladius: цяньту (cjanʹtu)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵ tʰu³⁵/
  - Homophones:
    [Show/Hide]
    ^edit
    ^edit
    前途
    錢途 / 钱途
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: cin⁴ tou⁴
  - Yale: chìhn tòuh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: tsin⁴ tou⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: qin⁴ tou⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰiːn²¹ tʰou̯²¹/
  - Homophones:
    ^edit
    ^edit
    前途
    錢途 / 钱途
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhièn-thù
  - Hakka Romanization System: qien^ˇ tu^ˇ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: qian² tu²
  - Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰi̯en¹¹ tʰu¹¹/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chiân-tô͘
  - Tâi-lô: tsiân-tôo
  - Phofsit Daibuun: ciendoo
  - IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou): /t͡siɛn²⁴⁻²² tɔ²⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡siɛn²³⁻³³ tɔ²³/
  - IPA (Taipei): /t͡siɛn²⁴⁻¹¹ tɔ²⁴/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡siɛn¹³⁻²² tɔ¹³/
- (Hokkien: Penang)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chêng-tô͘
  - Tâi-lô: tsîng-tôo
  - Phofsit Daibuun: zengdoo
  - IPA (Penang): /t͡seŋ²³⁻²¹ tɔ²³/
Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁶zhi-du
  - MiniDict: zhi^去 du
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³xxi-du
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ʑi²² du⁴⁴/

Middle Chinese: dzen du

Rime
Character	前	途
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	從 (15)	定 (7)
Final (韻)	先 (85)	模 (23)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	IV	I
Fanqie	昨先切	同都切
Baxter	dzen	du
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/d͡zen/	/duo/
Pan Wuyun	/d͡zen/	/duo/
Shao Rongfen	/d͡zɛn/	/do/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/d͡zɛn/	/dɔ/
Li Rong	/d͡zen/	/do/
Wang Li	/d͡zien/	/du/
Bernhard Karlgren	/d͡zʱien/	/dʱuo/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	qián	tú
Expected Cantonese Reflex	cin⁴	tou⁴

Noun

前途

prospects (of a person, project, etc.); promise; future; outlook
前途光明 ― qiántú guāngmíng ― bright future

前途無量／前途无量 ― qiántú wúliàng ― unlimited future

前途暗淡 ― qiántú àndàn ― dim future

美妙的前途 ― měimiào de qiántú ― promising future

人類前途／人类前途 ― rénlèi qiántú ― the future of the human race

毀了自己的前途／毁了自己的前途 ― huǐ le zìjǐ de qiántú ― to ruin one's own future

Synonyms

edit

出息
出路 (chūlù)
前景 (qiánjǐng)
前程 (qiánchéng)
展望 (zhǎnwàng)
巴望 (bāwàng) (regional)
憧憬 (chōngjǐng)
望頭 / 望头 (uan⁵ dou) (Xiang)
望頭子 / 望头子 (uan⁵ dou zr) (Xiang)
盼頭 / 盼头 (pàntou) (colloquial)
遠景 / 远景 (yuǎnjǐng)
願景 / 愿景 (yuànjǐng)

References

“前途”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.

Japanese

Kanji in this term
前	途
ぜん Grade: 2	と Grade: S
goon	kan'on

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) ぜんと [zéꜜǹtò] (Atamadaka – [1])^[1]^[2]
IPA^(key): [d͡zẽ̞nto̞]

Noun

前(ぜん)途(と) • (zento) ^{←ぜんと (zento)^?}

future, prospects, outlook
Synonyms: 将来 (shōrai), 先 (saki)
journey ahead, distance yet to cover

Derived terms

前(ぜん)途(と)多(た)難(なん) (zento tanan)
前(ぜん)途(と)無(む)効(こう) (zento mukō)
前(ぜん)途(と)洋(よう)々(よう) (zento yōyō)
前(ぜん)途(と)遼(りょう)遠(えん) (zento ryōen)

References

^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ Yamada, Tadao et al., editors (2011), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Seventh edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Korean

Hanja in this term
前	途

Noun

前途 • (jeondo) (hangeul 전도)

hanja form^? of 전도

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
前	途

Noun

前途

chữ Hán form of tiền đồ (“future, prospects, outlook”)

[DJR-1] Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[SMK7-2] Yamada, Tadao et al., editors (2011), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Seventh edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[1]

[2]