noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
frontmost; foremost
Used as a no-adjective to describe the very front position of something. Often appears in set phrases like 最前線 (front line) or 最前列 (front row).
He got a seat in the very front row.
Adverbial or noun use meaning 'a little while ago'. Slightly formal or literary; in casual speech さっき is more common.
We just met a short while ago, didn't we?
Please tell me again what you said just now.
front line; forefront
front row; the very front row
front line; forefront; spearhead
Standard kanji spelling for both senses.
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially for the adverbial sense.
Compound of 最 (most) and 前 (front). The temporal sense developed from the spatial meaning of 'just before'.