先 (xiān): beforehand, first, earlier, at first, originally, for the time being, for now
先 (xiān) is a Chinese character meaning “beforehand.” Classified as HSK Level 1 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 土 (structural) and 儿 (structural). It ranks #188 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 先 someone stepping 止 in front of another person 儿. Its radical form 儿 (legs) appears in many related characters such as 儿 (ér, child), 元 (yuán, Yuan dynasty (1279–1368)), 克 (kè, to be able to).
Definitions
- beforehand
- first
- earlier
- at first
- originally
- for the time being
- for now
Etymology & Origin
ideographicSomeone stepping 止 in front of another person 儿
Stroke Order
Practice writing 先 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 先
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 先生noun | xiān sheng | teacher | 1 |
| 首先adverb/pronoun | shǒu xiān | first of all | 4 |
| 领先verb | lǐng xiān | to lead | 5 |
| 事先noun | shì xiān | in advance | 5 |
| 先进adjective/noun | xiān jìn | sophisticated | 5 |
| 优先verb | yōu xiān | to have priority | 6 |
| 祖先noun | zǔ xiān | ancestors | 6 |
| 先前noun | xiān qián | before | 6 |
| 原先noun | yuán xiān | originally | 6 |
| 先后noun/adverb | xiān hòu | early or late | 5 |
| 率先adverb | shuài xiān | to take the lead | 6 |
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 先知verb | xiān zhī | a person of foresight |
| 最先adjective | zuì xiān | (the) very first |
| 预先adverb | yù xiān | beforehand |
| 先例noun | xiān lì | precedent |
| 抢先verb | qiǎng xiān | to rush (to do sth urgent) |
| 早先noun | zǎo xiān | previously |
| 起先adverb | qǐ xiān | at first |
| 先锋noun | xiān fēng | vanguard |
| 先驱noun | xiān qū | to pioneer |
| 先行verb | xiān xíng | to start off before the others |
| 先令noun | xiān lìng | (loanword) shilling |
| 遥遥领先phrase | yáo yáo lǐng xiān | (idiom) a long way in front |
| 先辈noun | xiān bèi | an older generation |
| 好好先生noun | hǎo hǎo xiān sheng | Mr Goody-goody |
| 先发制人 | xiān fā zhì rén | (idiom) to gain the initiative by striking first |
先 appears in 100 compound words: 64 as the first character, 23 as the last, and 13 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 先 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (24)
to inherit the teachings of previous generations in order to inspire future actions
to have the courage to do what others have not done; to have the courage to take the lead
to take the first step; to act early on; to beat to the punch; the early bird gets the worm
to be situated in front of all soldiers and attack the enemy as the general; to take the lead as the leader
to inherit the teachings of previous generations in order to inspire future actions
to take the first step; to act early on; to beat to the punch; the early bird gets the worm
to be situated in front of all soldiers and attack the enemy as the general; to take the lead as the leader
Showing 12 of 24 idioms containing 先.
Example Sentences
你先完成作业，然后再出去玩。
Nǐ xiān wánchéng zuòyè, ránhòu zài chūqù wán.
Finish your homework first, then go out to play.
过完年后该不该跳槽?先问自己五个“关键问题”
guò wán nián hòu gāi bù gāi tiào cáo ? xiān wèn zì jǐ wǔ gè guān jiàn wèn tí
Should I change jobs after the New Year? Ask yourself five "key questions" first
五特攻队跃领涨先锋 将是大盘上冲34,000点焦点
wǔ tè gōng duì yuè lǐng zhǎng xiān fēng jiāng shì dà pán shàng chōng 3 4 , 0 0 0 diǎn jiāo diǎn
The five special forces jumped to the vanguard and will be the focus of the market rising to 34,000 points
“马”上来沪|艺马当先 在申城美术馆里过个雅致年
mǎ shǎng lái hù yì mǎ dāng xiān zài shēn chéng měi shù guǎn lǐ guò gě yǎ zhì nián
"Horses Come to Shanghai|Art Horses Take the Lead Have an Elegant Year in Shencheng Art Museums
央企大拜年|智惠领航,“翼”马当先!
yāng qǐ dà bài nián zhì huì lǐng háng , yì mǎ dāng xiān !
State-Owned Enterprises New Year Greetings | Smart Leadership, Soaring Ahead!
一马当先南京年|站台上演“暖心接力”,南京人合力...
yī mǎ dāng xiān nán jīng nián zhàn tái shǎng yǎn nuǎn xīn jiē lì , nán jīng rén gě lì . . .
Nanjing Takes the Lead in the New Year | Warm Relay on the Platform, Nanjing Residents Join Forces...
我来登记之前你可以先帮我看管行李吗？
Wǒ lái dēngjì zhīqián nǐ kěyǐ xiān bāng wǒ kānguǎn xíngli ma?
Can I leave my bags with you until I come to check in?
你想我们先结婚还是先生孩子？
Nǐ xiǎng wǒmen xiān jiéhūn háishi xiānsheng háizi?
Do you want to get married first or have a child first?
先生小姐，你们买点什么首饰？
Xiānsheng xiǎojie, nǐmen mǎi diǎn shénme shǒushì?
Sir and Miss, what type of jewellery are you looking to buy?
有的，先生你有几位？
Yǒude, xiānsheng nǐ yǒu jǐ wèi?
Yes, there are. How many of you are there, Sir?
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
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What characters sound the same as 先 (xiān)?
Is 先 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
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