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先
🇹🇼🇭🇰🇨🇳🇯🇵🇰🇷

ahead

HSK 1 N4
Abstract →Time
xiān
セン
さき、ま.ず
선
Depicts a person (人) stepping forward (止) leading the way.
Components
止 stop+ 人 person =
先 ahead
止 Iconic component
zhǐ stop
stop, halt, desist
Depicts a foot stepping forward.
人 Iconic component
rén person
man
Notes
Similar Characters
企 look forward to此 this (literary)卸 unload往 toward徒 follower從 follow (trad)歧 fork in the road歨 a step歷 experience (trad)歸 come back (trad)走 walk之 of出 exit正 correct步 footstep武 military歬 go forward歰 unsmooth犇 stampede舛 deviate
Historical Evolution
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle
(~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)
Bronze
Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Bronze
Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze
Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)
Bronze
Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)
Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)
Bronze
Late Warring States (~250 BC)
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal
Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal
Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal
Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical
Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal
Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical
Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
先
Regular
Modern
Chinese
先 [xiān]
early; prior; former; in advance; first
Japanese
先 (rare) さっき 同音
nounadverb usually kana a short while ago; a moment ago; just now; some time ago
先 、 前 、 先き (irreg.) さき 同音

noun

  1. point; tip; end; nozzle
  2. head (of a line); front
  3. first; before; ahead (of)
  4. (the way) ahead; beyond
  5. future
  6. destination; address; place where you do something
  7. rest (e.g. of a story); continuation; remaining part
  8. the other party

adj-no

  1. previous; prior; former; recent; last
先 せん 同音
  1. adj-nonoun former; previous; old
  2. noun first move (in go, shogi, etc.); opening move
Example Sentences
🇯🇵 (8)
いいからさっき盗ったモノを、カバンの中から出しなさい。
Never mind that, just take out what you've just nicked from your bag.
鉛筆の先が丸くなった。
The point of the pencil has become dull.
二人の男のうち、背の高い方が先に出ていった。
The taller of the two men went out first.
ここから先には行けません。
You cannot go any farther.
Japanese Names
先 あゆみ
Ayumi female given name
先 さき
Saki female given namesurname
先 さきざき
Sakizaki surname
先 すすむ
Susumu given name
先 せん
Sen unclassified name
先 せんさき
Sensaki surname
先 せんざき
Senzaki surname
先 たかさき
Takasaki surname
先 ひろさき
Hirosaki surname
CHINESE WORDS (200)
先生 [Xiān​sheng] #93
Mister (Mr.)
首先 [shǒu​xiān] #860
first (of all)
先进 [xiān​jìn] #5,078
advanced (technology)
先进 [xiān​jìn] #5,078
advanced (technology)
先后 [xiān​hòu] #17,117
early or late
先后 [xiān​hòu] #17,117
early or late
领先 [lǐng​xiān] #3,359
to lead
领先 [lǐng​xiān] #3,359
to lead
优先 [yōu​xiān] #5,495
to have priority
优先 [yōu​xiān] #5,495
to have priority
190 more items
JAPANESE WORDS (200)
⭐ 先に [さきに] #331
previously
⭐ 先生 [せんせい] #485
teacher
⭐ 先輩 [せんぱい] #1,312
senior (at work or school)
⭐ 先ほど [さきほど] #1,469
a short while ago
⭐ 先日 [せんじつ] #1,948
the other day
この先 [このさき] #2,061
beyond this point
⭐ 優先 [ゆうせん] #2,537
preference
その先 [そのさき] #2,557
beyond that point
⭐ 指先 [ゆびさき] #3,046
fingertip
⭐ 先端 [せんたん] #3,445
pointed end
190 more items
KOREAN WORDS (43)
우선 #1,303
priority; preference
선생 #2,136
teacher; instructor
선수 #3,373
lead
선배 #5,138
senior; veteran
선두 #24,886
head; leader; forefront
최우선 #30,387
top priority; the highest priority
선임 #35,304
seniority
선조 #40,106
ancestors; forebears; forefathers
대선배
senior; veteran
선견
foreknowledge; foresight
33 more items