in front
one who
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→qian2zhe3 • qiánzhě
the former
the first-mentioned
Refers to the first of two people or things mentioned, not to someone who formerly held a position.
茶 和 咖啡， 我 比较 喜欢 前者。
Chá hé kāfēi, wǒ bǐjiào xǐhuan qiánzhě.
Between tea and coffee, I prefer the former.
坐 车 或 走路 都 可以， 但 前者 比较 快。
Zuò chē huò zǒulù dōu kěyǐ, dàn qiánzhě bǐjiào kuài.
Taking a vehicle or walking are both options, but the former is faster.
这 两 种 方法， 前者 简单， 后者 复杂。
Zhè liǎng zhǒng fāngfǎ, qiánzhě jiǎndān, hòuzhě fùzá.
Of these two methods, the former is simple and the latter is complicated.