Definition
前脚 has two distinct uses. Literally it means 'the forward foot' when stepping. More commonly, it appears in the paired pattern '前脚…后脚…' (qián jiǎo… hòu jiǎo…), meaning 'no sooner A than B' — two events happen in immediate succession, often with the second person just missing the first. This pattern is fixed: the subject and verb go between 前脚 and 后脚, and the two clauses mirror each other. You can also use 前脚 alone to refer to the first action in such a sequence.
n.
forward foot (in a step)(in the pattern 前脚…后脚…) no sooner A than Bjust as A happenedB followed
Examples
- 前脚，。Tā qián jiǎ gāng tà jìn jiāmén, hòujiǎo jiù xià qǐ le dàyǔ.No sooner had he stepped into the house than it started to pour.
- 前脚。Zǒulù shí zhùyì qián jiǎ hé yòu jiǎo yào xiétiáo.When walking, make sure your forward foot and right foot are coordinated.
- 前脚，。Wǒ qián jiǎ líkāi bàngōngshì, lǎobǎn hòujiǎo jiù dǎ diànhuà zhǎo wǒ.I had no sooner left the office than the boss called me.
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