Definition
前台 (qiántái) has three distinct meanings: a hotel/office reception desk, a theater stage (the area in front of the curtain), and the front-end of software/websites. Its opposite in theater and computing is 后台 (hòutái 'backstage/back-end'). As a reception counter it differs from 柜台 (guìtái), which refers to the physical counter itself (e.g., a sales counter, not the desk area).
noun
front deskreception deskstageproscenium(computing) front-end
Examples
- 前台。Wǒ zài jiǔdiàn qián tái bànlǐ rùzhù shǒuxù.I checked in at the hotel front desk.
- 前台。Zhège ruǎnjiàn de qián tái shèjì de fēicháng jiǎnjié.The front-end design of this software is very clean.
- 前台，。Yǎnyuánmen dōu zài qián tái biǎoyǎn, guānzhòng kàn de hěn qīngchu.The actors are all performing on the stage, and the audience can see them clearly.
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