前回（ぜんかい、zenkai）
- previous time

The Japanese word 前回 (ぜんかい) means "last time," "the previous time," or "the previous occasion." It refers to the event or instance that occurred immediately before the current one. It can be used in a variety of contexts, from conversations about meetings to discussions about past events. The word emphasizes the event that happened just before the current focus.

⚫︎ 前回の会議はとても有意義でした。 Translation: The last meeting was very meaningful. ⚫︎ 前回の宿題は難しかったですか？ Translation: Was the previous homework difficult? ⚫︎ 彼女は前回の旅行で京都に行きました。 Translation: She went to Kyoto on her last trip.

⚫︎ You can use 前回 to refer to any event that has already happened, such as a meeting, a trip, a lesson, a movie, or any other occasion. ⚫︎ It is often used in conjunction with other words to specify what event or situation is being referenced, like the examples. ⚫︎ It is appropriate in both formal and informal settings, although the tone of the sentence may change depending on the context and the speaker.

⚫︎ 前回 is typically written in kanji as 前回. ⚫︎ The reading is ぜんかい in hiragana. ⚫︎ There are no variations in the okurigana.

⚫︎ 先回(せんかい) - "the previous time" (similar meaning) ⚫︎ 前(まえ) - "before," "previous" (can be used to convey a similar idea in some contexts)

⚫︎ 今回(こんかい) - "this time" (the current time) ⚫︎ 次(つぎ) - "next time"

前回の試験の結果はどうでしたか？ ・Translation: How were the results of the last exam? ・Explanation: This sentence directly asks about the outcome of the exam taken previously.

前回の映画は面白かったけど、今回はちょっと退屈だった。 ・Translation: The last movie was interesting, but this time it was a bit boring. ・Explanation: This sentence compares two movies, highlighting the difference between the events 前回 and the current one.

The word 前回 is made up of two parts: 前(ぜん), meaning "before," "previous," and 回(かい), meaning "time," "round," or "instance." Therefore, 前回 literally means "the previous time."