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

• 先天 inborn; innate; natural ; Xiantian
• 先母 deceased mother
• 春江水暖鸭先知(春江水暖鴨先知) the duck is the first to know if the spring water is warm
• 先见(先見) foresight; prescience
• 先期录音(先期錄音) prerecording; to prerecord
• 先验(先驗) a priori
• 先师(先師) former teacher ; patriarch
• 妖孽亦先见(妖孽亦先見) a bad omen will first be seen
• 先决问题(先決問題) preliminary question; priority problem; issues requiring more immediate attention
• 先人 ancestors; deceased parents ; ancients; previous generations
• 先知 prophet ; prophecy; foreknowkledge
• 先主 former sovereign ; founding sovereign
• 先大母 deceased paternal grandmother
• 机先(機先) a sign of an emerging issue
• 最先 the first; the earliest
• 先王 former kings; sage-kings
• 从先(從先) before; in the past; previously
• 先见之明(先見之明) foresight
• 先令 shilling
• 先考 deceased father
• 先行 to precede
• 溘先朝露 the morning dew will swiftly dissipate; ephemeral and precarious nature of human existence
• 先来后到(先來後到) in order of arrival; first come, first served
• 先锋队(先鋒隊) vanguard
• 先声(先聲) a herald; a precursor; a harbinger
• 百善孝为先(百善孝為先) of all virtues filial piety is most important
• 急先锋(急先鋒) daring vanguard; pioneer; leading figure
• 先下手为强(先下手為強) strike first and gain the upper hand (idiom, martial arts term)
• 先锋(先鋒) a pioneer
• 其先 previously
• 不首先使用 no first use (policy for nuclear weapons); NFU
• 先锋派(先鋒派) avant-garde
• 先进水平(先進水平) advanced level
• 闻风先遁(聞風先遁) to flee at hearing the news
• 按时间先后(按時間先後) chronological
• 先决条件(先決條件) precondition; prerequisite
• 争先(爭先) to compete to be first
• 先王之乐(先王之樂) the music of former kings
• 先君 my late father; my ancestors; the late emperor
• 先斩后奏(先斬後奏) first decapitate then present your trophy; act first, report later
• 事先 in advance; beforehand; prior
• 古先 past times
• 先烈 martyr
• 先头(先頭) in advance; ahead; before; previously
• 女士优先(女士優先) Ladies first!
• 先觉(先覺) foresight ; a person with foresight
• 身先士卒 to fight at the head of one's troops; to take the lead

Also contained in

先汉 、 王先谦 、 五柳先生传 、 也先太师

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
• 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
• 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
• 先书 (先書) 先書 — The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳, 序 Preface — count: 4
• 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
• 先入 (先入) 費請先入 — The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳, 莊公 Lord Zhang — count: 3
• 先犯 (先犯) 若先犯之 — The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳, 桓公 Lord Huan — count: 3
• 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