先 xiān

1. xiān noun first
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Time
   Notes: In the sense of 先前 (Han Dian '先' n 1; Unihan '先')
2. xiān noun early; prior; former
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Time
   Notes: (Han Dian '先' n 5; Unihan '先')
3. xiān verb to go forward; to advance
   Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
   Notes: In this sense 先 has the same meaning as 前进 (Han Dian '先' v 2)
4. xiān verb to attach importance to; to value
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语
   Notes: In this sense 先 has the same meaning as 重视 (Han Dian '先' v 4)
5. xiān verb to start
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语
   Notes: In this sense 先 has the same meaning as 开始 (Han Dian '先' v 6)
6. xiān noun ancestors; forebears
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Genealogy
   Notes: In this sense 先 has the same meaning as 先世 or 祖先 (Han Dian '先' n 3)
7. xiān adverb earlier
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语
   Notes: (Han Dian '先' adv)
8. xiān adjective before; in front
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语
   Notes: In this sense 先 has the same meaning as 前 (Han Dian '先' adj 1)
9. xiān adjective fundamental; basic
   Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Philosophy
   Notes: In this sense 先 has the same meaning as 首要 or 根本 (Han Dian '先' adj 4)
10. xiān proper noun Xian
    Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Names , Concept: Surname 姓氏
    Notes: (Han Dian '先' n 7)
11. xiān noun ancient; archaic
    Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
    Notes: In the sense of 先代的 (Han Dian '先' adj 2)
12. xiān adjective super
    Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
    Notes: In the sense of 上 (Han Dian '先' adj 6)
13. xiān adjective deceased
    Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
    Notes: In the sense of 死 (Han Dian '先' adj 8)

Contained in

• 账房先生(賬房先生) bookkeeper
• 先发制人(先發制人) strike first and gain the advantage over others
• 先下手为强(先下手為強) strike first and gain the upper hand (idiom, martial arts term)
• 先进集体(先進集體) (official accolade) advanced team; exemplary group
• 大先知书(大先知書) the biblical books of the prophets
• 有约在先(有約在先) to have a prior engagement
• 先不先 first of all; in the first place
• 先天性缺陷 birth defect
• 尽先(儘先) in the first instance; as a first priority
• 先天愚型 Down syndrome; trisomy 21
• 先天不足 congenital deficiency; inherent weakness
• 先进武器(先進武器) advanced weapon
• 索马里先令(索馬裡先令) Somali shilling
• 先后顺序(先後順序) order of priority; sequential order
• 先期录音(先期錄音) prerecording; to prerecord
• 先锋队(先鋒隊) vanguard
• 先容 to introduce somebody; to recommend
• 意存笔先，画尽意在(意存筆先，畫盡意在) the idea is present before the first stroke of the brush, when the last stroke is placed the idea shines through
• 先贤(先賢) a worthy predecessor; a former sage
• 先大母 deceased paternal grandmother
• 捷足先登 the agile climb up first
• 争先(爭先) to compete to be first
• 先声夺人(先聲奪人) to gain the upper hand by a show of strength
• 先天 inborn; innate; natural ; Xiantian
• 先天性 innateness
• 先兆 a sign; an omen
• 急先锋(急先鋒) daring vanguard; pioneer; leading figure
• 领先(領先) to lead; to be in front
• 兵马未动，粮草先行(兵馬未動，糧草先行) before the troops move, fodder and provisions go first; logistics comes before military maneuvers
• 先有后婚(先有後婚) marriage arranged following a pregnancy; marriage necessitated by an unplanned pregnancy
• 先机(先機) key moment; decisive opportunity
• 事先通知 preliminary notification; to announce in advance
• 先王之政 the rule of former kings
• 遥遥领先(遙遙領先) a long way in front; to lead by a wide margin
• 优先股(優先股) preferred stock
• 先哲 distinguished precursor; famous thinker of antiquity
• 起先 at first; in the beginning
• 祖先 ancestors; forebears
• 先烈 martyr
• 先见之明(先見之明) foresight
• 恶人先告状(惡人先告狀) the guilty party files the suit; the thief cries thief
• 先验(先驗) a priori
• 缠夹二先生(纏夾二先生) annoying muddle-headed person who gabbles unintelligibly
• 闻风先遁(聞風先遁) to flee at hearing the news

Also contained in

先行词 、 也先台吉 、 先汉 、 戴克里先 、 憨豆先生 、 王先谦 、 赛先生

Word is mentioned most frequently in

Truncated for common words

• 卷六十九 列傳第二十九 劉湛 范曄 Volume 69 Biographies 29: Liu Zhan, Fan Ye Book of Song 宋書 — count: 53
• 卷33 宋隱 王憲 屈遵 張蒲 榖渾 公孫表 張濟 李先 賈彝 薛提 Volume 33: Song Yin, Wang Xian, Qu Zun, Zhang Pu, Gu Hun, Gongsun Biao, Zhang Ji, Li Xian, Jia Yi, Xue Ti Book of Wei 魏書 — count: 50
• 昭公 Lord Zhao The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳 — count: 49
• 卷二十八下　　　志第十八下　　曆四下 Volume 28b Treatises 21: Calendar 4b New Book of Tang 新唐書 — count: 47
• 卷三十三　列傳第二十三 范泰 荀伯子 徐廣 鄭鮮之 裴松之 何承天 Volume 33 Biographies 23: Fan Tai, Xun Bozi, Xu Guang, Zhen Xianzhi, Pei Songzhi, He Chengtian History of the Southern Dynasties 南史 — count: 46
• 卷一百〇二 志第五十五 禮五 Volume 102 Treatises 55: Rites 5 History of Song 宋史 — count: 46
• 卷十四 志第四 禮一 Volume 14 Treatises 4: Rituals 1 Book of Song 宋書 — count: 45
• 襄公 Lord Xiang The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳 — count: 41
• 卷三十八　志第十九:　禮十一 外國使入見儀 曲宴儀 朝辭儀 新定夏使儀注 Volume 38 Treatises 19: Rites 11 - Ceremonies for Receiving Foreign Emissaries; Music for Banquets; Farewell Rituals; Ceremonies for Newly Appointed Officials History of Jin 金史 — count: 41
• 卷四十九 志第二十五 禮三 Volume 49 Treatises 25: Rites 3 History of Ming 明史 — count: 40

Collocations

• 先轸 (先軫) 先軫曰 — The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳, 僖公 Lord Xi — count: 10
• 先正 (先正) 羣公先正 — The Book of Songs 詩經, 大雅‧蕩之什‧雲漢 Greater odes of the kingdom - Decade Of Dang - Yun Han — count: 6
• 先蔑 (先蔑) 使先蔑 — The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳, 文公 Lord Wen — count: 6
• 请先 (請先) 請先相見 — The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳, 隱公 Lord Yin — count: 5
• 先縠 (先縠) 先縠佐之 — The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳, 宣公 Lord Xuan — count: 5
• 先克 (先剋) 先克佐之 — The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳, 文公 Lord Wen — count: 4
• 先书 (先書) 先書 — The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳, 序 Preface — count: 4
• 晋先 (晉先) 晉先且居 — The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳, 文公 Lord Wen — count: 3
• 先归 (先歸) 宰孔先歸 — The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳, 僖公 Lord Xi — count: 3
• 先儒 (先儒) 先儒所傳 — The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳, 序 Preface — count: 3