The former… the latter… (前者…后者…)

Structure (A and B) … 前者 + comment on A，后者 + comment on B

前者 (qián zhě) and 后者 (hòu zhě) are the contrastive anaphoric pair of literary Chinese: 前者 picks up the FIRST item mentioned and 后者 the SECOND, just like "the former… the latter…" in English. They are an essential essay-and-press tool for comparing two things without repeating their names: you cite A and B, then comment on them with 前者…后者…. The order is fixed and mirrors the order of appearance — 前者 can never point to the second item. It combines naturally with 二者/两者, which sums up both.

Examples

他tā面miàn对duì自zì由yóu与yǔ责zé任rèn，前qián者zhě诱yòu人rén，后hòu者zhě沉chén重zhòng。
He faces freedom and responsibility: the former is tempting, the latter is heavy.
茶chá和hé咖kā啡fēi我wǒ都dōu爱ài，前qián者zhě清qīng淡dàn，后hòu者zhě浓nóng烈liè。
I love both tea and coffee: the former is light, the latter strong.
改gǎi革gé有yǒu渐jiàn进jìn与yǔ激jī进jìn两liǎng条tiáo路lù，前qián者zhě稳wěn妥tuǒ，后hòu者zhě冒mào险xiǎn。
Reform has two paths, gradual and radical: the former is cautious, the latter risky.

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