先 xiān
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noun
first
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Time 时间
Notes: In the sense of 先前 (Han Dian '先' n 1; Unihan '先') -
noun
early / prior / former
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Time 时间
Notes: (Han Dian '先' n 5; Unihan '先') -
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) -
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) -
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) -
noun
ancestors / forebears
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Genealogy 世系
Notes: In this sense 先 has the same meaning as 先世 or 祖先 (Han Dian '先' n 3) -
adverb
earlier
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Social Interaction 交际
Notes: (Han Dian '先' adv) -
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) -
adjective
fundamental / basic
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Philosophy 哲学
Notes: In this sense 先 has the same meaning as 首要 or 根本 (Han Dian '先' adj 4) -
proper noun
Xian
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Names 名字 , Concept: Surname 姓氏
Notes: (Han Dian '先' n 7) -
noun
ancient / archaic
Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
Notes: In the sense of 先代的 (Han Dian '先' adj 2) -
adjective
super
Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
Notes: In the sense of 上 (Han Dian '先' adj 6) -
adjective
deceased
Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
Notes: In the sense of 死 (Han Dian '先' adj 8)
Contained in
- 先辈(先輩) former generations
- 首先 first
- 先进(先進) advanced ; advance
- 优先(優先) with priority
- 先生 Mr. / sir / mister ; first born ; husband ; teacher ; gentleman ; doctor ; bookkeeper ; fortune teller ; prostitute ; a Taoist scholar
- 先后(先後) start and finish ; in succession ; sisters in law ; to assist
- 事先 in advance / beforehand / prior
- 领先(領先) to lead / to be in front
- 先行 to precede
- 争先(爭先) to compete to be first
- 少先队(少先隊) Young Pioneers
- 预先(預先) beforehand / prior / in advance
- 原先 former / original
- 祖先 ancestors / forebears
- 先锋(先鋒) a pioneer
- 先前 before / previously
- 争先恐后(爭先恐後) striving to be first and fearing to be last
- 先王 former kings / sage-kings
- 先导(先導) a guide / a forerunner / a pioneer
- 先发制人(先發制人) strike first and gain the advantage over others
- 先天 inborn / innate / natural ; Xiantian
- 先天性 innateness
- 先例 an antecedent / a precedent
- 先河 priority
- 率先 to take the lead / to show initiative
- 先圣(先聖) an ancient sage / an ancient saint ; Confucius
- 先世 ancestry
- 先贤(先賢) a worthy predecessor / a former sage
- 先驱(先驅) a pioneer
- 最先 the first / the earliest
- 先声(先聲) a herald / a precursor / a harbinger
- 先祖 deceased grandfather / ancestry
- 先公 deceased father / deceased senior male figure
- 小子先顺(小子先順) worthy progeny
- 承先启后(承先啟後) to follow the past and herald the future / part of a historical transition / forming a bridge between earlier and later stages
- 先帝 ancient emperors ; former emperor / deceased emperor
- 算命先生 fortune-teller
- 革命先烈 martyr to the revolution
- 遥遥领先(遙遙領先) a long way in front / to lead by a wide margin
- 女士优先(女士優先) Ladies first!
- 领先地位(領先地位) lead position
Also contained in
先秦 、 王先谦 、 先行词 、 赛先生 、 德先生 、 曲先 、 先泥 、 国王不梨先泥十夢经 、 那先比丘经 、 大福先寺
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
- 卷十四 志第四 禮一 Volume 14 Treatises 4: Rituals 1 Book of Song 宋書 — 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
- 襄公 Lord Xiang The Commentary of Zuo on the Spring and Autumn Annals 春秋左氏傳 — 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: 41
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: 11
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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