1.
prewar, before the war
The period before a war. In Japanese without further specification, this almost always refers to the period before World War II, particularly the era before Japan's defeat in 1945.
戦前の日本は大きく違っていた。
Prewar Japan was very different.
この建物は戦前に建てられた。
This building was built before the war.
戦前の教育制度と戦後の教育制度には大きな違いがある。
There are major differences between the prewar and postwar education systems.
USAGE:
When used without qualification, 戦前 almost always refers to the period before World War II in Japan (before 1945). Used as a noun and as a modifier (戦前の). Often contrasted with 戦後 (postwar) and 戦中 (wartime).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 戦前の日本: prewar Japan
- 戦前から: since before the war
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 戦後: postwar (after the war)
- 戦中: during the war, wartime