How do you say "forwards" in Japanese?

前方

zenpō

Adverb Kanji

In Japanese, "forwards" is 前方 (zenpō).

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Pronunciation

前方 is written using kanji. Romanised as zenpō, it sounds roughly like "zeh-n-poh" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Zenpō uses front (前) plus direction (方). Pō (方) is a formal suffix meaning direction or side and appears in spatial and directional phrases.

Example sentence

前方に進んでください。

Zenpou ni susunde kudasai.

Please move forwards.

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How to remember 前方

Zen is front, pō is direction. Zenpō is slightly formal, used in announcements and safety instructions. Picture people facing forwards.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 前方

How do you pronounce 前方?

前方 is romanised as zenpō. Say it roughly like "zeh-n-poh" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 前方 formal or casual?

前方 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 前方 written in Japanese?

前方 is written using kanji. Zenpō uses front (前) plus direction (方).

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Forwards" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

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