Audio
先 (xiān) English Meaning
- first
- early
- prior
- former
- in advance
Traditional Character: 先
This character forms words in:
HSK 1, HSK 3, HSK 4, HSK 5 and HSK 6. CLICK HERE to jump to the list.
Sample Sentences
- 先谢谢了。
Xiān xièxièle.
Thanks in advance. - 你想先去哪里？
Nǐ xiǎng xiān qù nǎlǐ?
Where would you like to go first? - 请先为他上菜。
Qǐng xiān wèi tā shàng cài.
Please serve him his meal first. - 我想先吃点蛋糕。
Wǒ xiǎng xiān chī diǎn dàngāo.
I want to eat some cake first. - 我先去定好座位吧。
Wǒ xiān qù dìnghǎo zuòwèi ba.
Let me reserve the seats in advance. - 请先填写这张表格。
Qǐng xiān tiánxiě zhè zhāng biǎogé.
Please fill out this form first.
Stroke Order & Character Components
先 (xiān): first; early; prior; former; in advance
- 丿 (piě): oblique
- 土 (tǔ): earth
- 儿 (er): child
Links to all HSK Words & Lists Containing 先
HSK 1 Word List
- 先生(xiān sheng): Mister (Mr.); husband; doctor (dialect); teacher; CL: 個|个(gè), 位(wèi)
HSK 3 Word List
- 先(xiān): early; prior; former; in advance; first
HSK 4 Word List
- 首先(shǒu xiān): first (of all); in the first place
HSK 5 Word List
- 事先(shì xiān): in advance; before the event; beforehand; prior
HSK 6 Word List
- 领先(lǐng xiān): to lead; to be in front
- 先进(xiān jìn): advanced (technology); to advance
- 先前(xiān qián): before; previously
- 优先(yōu xiān): priority
- 预先(yù xiān): beforehand; prior
- 原先(yuán xiān): former; original
- 争先恐后(zhēng xiān kǒng hòu): striving to be first and fearing to be last (idiom); outdoing one another
- 祖先(zǔ xiān): ancestor; forebears
*CL: Classifier/Measure Word
