生前 (shēng qián): meaning and stroke order

生前 in our stories

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

• 赵括的母亲听说后，急忙给赵王写信，请求他收回命令：“他父亲生前说过，这孩子不能带兵。”

  Zhào Kuò de mǔqīn tīngshuō hòu jímáng gěi Zhào Wáng xiě xìn qǐngqiú tā shōuhuí mìnglìng tā fùqīn shēngqián shuō guò zhè háizi bù néng dàibīng

  When Zhao Kuo's mother heard, she hurriedly wrote to the king asking him to withdraw the order: "His father said while he was alive that this boy must not command troops."

  From the story Fighting battles on paper HSK 7–9 · Level 8

• 女士来取碗的时候，眼圈一下子红了：“我母亲生前最喜欢梅花。”庞师傅笑了笑，说他并不知道，只是觉得裂缝的形状像一根树枝。

  nǚshì lái qǔ wǎn de shíhou yǎnquān yíxiàzi hóng le wǒ mǔqīn shēngqián zuì xǐhuan méihuā Páng shīfu xiào le xiào shuō tā bìng bù zhīdao zhǐshì juéde lièfèng de xíngzhuàng xiàng yì gēn shùzhī

  When the woman came for the bowl, her eyes reddened at once: "My mother loved plum blossom more than anything." Master Pang smiled and said he hadn't known; he had just thought the cracks looked like a branch.

  From the story Mending the bowl HSK 7–9 · Level 9