先 xiān
-
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') -
xiān
noun
early; prior; former
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Time
Notes: (Han Dian '先' n 5; Unihan '先') -
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) -
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) -
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) -
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) -
xiān
adverb
earlier
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语
Notes: (Han Dian '先' adv) -
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) -
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) -
xiān
proper noun
Xian
Domain: Modern Chinese 现代汉语 , Subdomain: Names , Concept: Surname 姓氏
Notes: (Han Dian '先' n 7) -
xiān
noun
ancient; archaic
Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
Notes: In the sense of 先代的 (Han Dian '先' adj 2) -
xiān
adjective
super
Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
Notes: In the sense of 上 (Han Dian '先' adj 6) -
xiān
adjective
deceased
Domain: Literary Chinese 文言文
Notes: In the sense of 死 (Han Dian '先' adj 8)
Contained in
- 先妣 deceased mother
- 先声夺人(先聲奪人) to gain the upper hand by a show of strength
- 先生 Mr.; sir; mister ; first born ; husband ; teacher ; gentleman ; doctor ; bookkeeper ; fortune teller ; prostitute ; a Taoist scholar
- 先母 deceased mother
- 开路先锋(開路先鋒) pioneer; trailbreaker
- 领先(領先) to lead; to be in front
- 先君 my late father; my ancestors; the late emperor
- 先圣(先聖) an ancient sage; an ancient saint ; Confucius
- 先皇 the late Emperor
- 先王之道 the way of former kings
- 恶人先告状(惡人先告狀) the guilty party files the suit; the thief cries thief
- 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
- 开先(開先) at first
- 急先锋(急先鋒) daring vanguard; pioneer; leading figure
- 先帝遗诏(先帝遺詔) posthumous edict of former emperor
- 先主 former sovereign ; founding sovereign
- 先决(先決) prerequisite; precondition
- 先锋队(先鋒隊) vanguard
- 先世 previous generations ; previous generations
- 肯尼亚先令(肯尼亞先令) Kenya shilling
- 捷足先登 the agile climb up first
- 先遣队 advance party ; advance party; advance troops
- 先前 before; previously
- 国际先驱论坛报(國際先驅論壇報) International Herald Tribune
- 少先队(少先隊) Young Pioneers
- 先驱(先驅) a pioneer
- 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
- 古先 past times
- 先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐(先天下之憂而憂，後天下之樂而樂) The first concern is affairs of state, enjoying the pleasure comes later.
- 争先(爭先) to compete to be first
- 先大母 deceased paternal grandmother
- 好好先生 Mr Goody-goody; yes-man (sb who agrees with anything)
- 风水先生(風水先生) feng shui master; geomancer; stock figure in folk tales, as a wise adviser or a charlatan
- 先来后到(先來後到) in order of arrival; first come, first served
- 身先朝露 body will go with the morning dew; ephemeral and precarious nature of human existence
- 美祥亦先见(美祥亦先見) an auspicious omen will first be seen
- 乌干达先令(烏干達先令) Uganda shilling
- 先王 former kings; sage-kings
- 先进集体(先進集體) (official accolade) advanced team; exemplary group
- 先期录音(先期錄音) prerecording; to prerecord
- 有约在先(有約在先) to have a prior engagement
- 先进(先進) advanced ; advance
- 祖先崇拜 ancestor veneration
- 率先 to take the lead; to show initiative
- 先声(先聲) a herald; a precursor; a harbinger
- 革命先烈 martyr to the revolution
Also contained in
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: 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
- 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: 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
- 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