先

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See also: 失, 矢, and 兂
先 U+5148, 先
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5148
← 兇
[U+5147] 		CJK Unified Ideographs 光 →
[U+5149]

Translingual

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Stroke order
6 strokes

Han character

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先 (Kangxi radical 10, 儿+4, 6 strokes, cangjie input 竹土竹山 (HGHU), four-corner 24211, composition ⿱𠂒儿)

Derived characters

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References

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  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 124, character 5
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 1349
  • Dae Jaweon: page 260, character 6
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 267, character 2
  • Unihan data for U+5148

Chinese

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simp. and trad.
 先
Wikipedia has articles on:
  • 先 (Written Standard Chinese?)
  • 先 (Cantonese)

Glyph origin

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Historical forms of the character 先
Shang Western Zhou Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script Bronze inscriptions Small seal script Transcribed ancient scripts
j20804
j20805
j20806
j20807
j20808
j20809
j20810
j20811
j20812
j20813
j20814
j20815
j20816
j20817
j20818
j20819
j20820
j20821
j20822
j20823
j20824
j20825
j20826
j20827
j20828
j20829
j20830
j20831
j20832
j20833
j20834
j20835
j20836
j20837
j20838
j20839
j20840
j20841
j20842
j20843
j20844
j20845
j20846
j20847
j20848
j20849
j20850
j20851
j20852
j20853
j20854
j20855
j20856
j20857
j20858
j20859
j20860
j20861
j20862
j20863
j20864
j20865
j20866
j20867
j20868
j20869
j20870
j20871
j20872
j20873
j20874
j20875
j20876
j20877
j20878
j20879
j20880
j20881
j20882
j20883
j20884
j20885
j20886
j20887
j20888
j20889
j20890
j20891
j20892
j20893
j20894
b13509
b13510
b13511
b13512
b13513
b13514
b13515
b13516
b13517
b13518
b13519
b13520
b13521
b13522
b13523
b13524
b13525
b13526
b13527
b13528
b13529
b13530
b13531
b13532
b13533
b13534
b13535
b13536
b13537
b13538
b13539
b13540
s06218
Transcribed ancient scripts
L31820
L31821
L31822
L31823
L31824
L31825
L06548
L06549
L06550
L06551
L06552
L06553
L06541
L06542
L06543
L06544
L06545
L06546
L06547
L06554
L06555
References:

Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation),
which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including:

  • Shuowen Jiezi (small seal),
  • Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions),
  • Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and
  • Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).
Characters in the same phonetic series (先) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
洗 *sɯːlʔ, *sɯːnʔ
先 *sɯːn, *sɯːns
銑 *sɯːnʔ
跣 *sɯːnʔ
毨 *sɯːnʔ
姺 *sɯːnʔ, *srin
筅 *sɯːnʔ
冼 *sɯːnʔ
箲 *sɯːnʔ
駪 *srin
兟 *srin
詵 *srin
侁 *srin

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : 止 (“foot”) + 儿 (“person”) – to go forward.

Etymology

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Sino-Tibetan. Cognate with Tibetan བསེལ (bsel, “to protect (on a dangerous path); to escort”), Chepang स्‍यालःसा (syalʔ‑, “to lead; to go or do first; to open way”) (Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation 1

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Note:
  • Sixian:
    • sîn - in 先生 (sîn-sâng).
Note:
  • sĕng - vernacular;
  • siĕng - literary.
Note:
  • seng/suiⁿ - vernacular;
  • sin - vernacular (limited, e.g. 先生);
  • sian - literary.
Note:
  • soin1/sain1 - vernacular (sain1 - Chaoyang, Jieyang);
  • sing1 - literary.
  • Dialectal data
Variety Location 先
Mandarin Beijing /ɕian⁵⁵/
Harbin /ɕian⁴⁴/
Tianjin /t͡ɕʰian²¹/
/ɕian²¹/
Jinan /ɕiã²¹³/
Qingdao /siã²¹³/
Zhengzhou /sian²⁴/
Xi'an /ɕiã²¹/
Xining /ɕiã⁴⁴/
Yinchuan /ɕian⁴⁴/
Lanzhou /ɕiɛ̃n³¹/
Ürümqi /ɕian⁴⁴/
Wuhan /ɕiɛn⁵⁵/
Chengdu /ɕian⁵⁵/
Guiyang /ɕian⁵⁵/
Kunming /ɕiɛ̃⁴⁴/
Nanjing /sien³¹/
Hefei /ɕiĩ²¹/
/t͡ɕʰiĩ²¹/
Jin Taiyuan /ɕie¹¹/
Pingyao /ɕie̞¹³/
Hohhot /ɕie³¹/
Wu Shanghai /ɕi⁵³/
Suzhou /siɪ⁵⁵/
Hangzhou /ɕiẽ̞³³/
Wenzhou /ɕi³³/
Hui Shexian /se³¹/
Tunxi /siɛ¹¹/
Xiang Changsha /siẽ³³/
Xiangtan /siẽ³³/
Gan Nanchang /ɕiɛn⁴²/
Hakka Meixian /sian⁴⁴/
Taoyuan /sien²⁴/
Cantonese Guangzhou /sin⁵³/
Nanning /ɬin⁵⁵/
Hong Kong /sin⁵⁵/
Min Xiamen (Hokkien) /sian⁵⁵/
/siŋ⁵⁵/
Fuzhou (Eastern Min) /sɛiŋ⁴⁴/
Jian'ou (Northern Min) /siŋ⁵⁴/
Shantou (Teochew) /siŋ³³/
/sõi³³/
Haikou (Hainanese) /sin²³/
/ti²³/
/tai²³/
Rime
Character 先
Reading # 1/2
Initial (聲) 心 (16)
Final (韻) 先 (85)
Tone (調) Level (Ø)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) IV
Fanqie 蘇前切
Baxter sen
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/sen/
Pan
Wuyun 		/sen/
Shao
Rongfen 		/sɛn/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/sɛn/
Li
Rong 		/sen/
Wang
Li 		/sien/
Bernhard
Karlgren 		/sien/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		xiān
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		sin1
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 先
Reading # 1/2
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin) 		xiān
Middle
Chinese 		‹ sen ›
Old
Chinese 		/*sˁər/
English first

Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:

* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;

* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 先
Reading # 1/2
No. 13458
Phonetic
component 		先
Rime
group 		文
Rime
subdivision 		1
Corresponding
MC rime 		先
Old
Chinese 		/*sɯːn/

Definitions

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先

  1. first; ahead of time; before; beforehand
    我要先去洗手間。 [MSC, trad.]
    我要先去洗手间。 [MSC, simp.]
    Wǒ yào xiān qù xǐshǒujiān. [Pinyin]
    I need to go to the bathroom first.
    他比我先畢業。／他比我先毕业。  ―  Tā bǐ wǒ xiān bìyè.  ―  He graduated earlier than me.
    我要去廁所先。 [Cantonese, trad.]
    我要去厕所先。 [Cantonese, simp.]
    ngo5 jiu3 heoi3 ci3 so2 sin1. [Jyutping]
    I need to go to the bathroom first.
    唔好去住先。 [Cantonese, trad. and simp.]
    m4 hou2 heoi3 zyu6 sin1. [Jyutping]
    (For now) don't go.
  2. first; preceding; prior
    Antonym: 後／后 (hòu)
    先聲／先声  ―  xiānshēng  ―  herald; sign
    領先／领先  ―  lǐngxiān  ―  to be in the lead
    先兩日／先两日 [Cantonese]  ―  sin1 loeng5 jat6 [Jyutping]  ―  day before yesterday; two days ago
  3. for the time being; for the moment
  4. (colloquial) earlier on; before; at first
  5. ancient
  6. deceased; late
    先父  ―  xiānfù  ―  deceased father
  7. ancestor; forefather
    祖先  ―  zǔxiān  ―  ancestor
  8. thing of utmost importance
  9. Short for 先生 (xiānshēng).
  10. Short for 先手 (xiānshǒu).
  11. (Cantonese) only then
    佢瞓到而家先瞓醒覺。 [Cantonese, trad.]
    佢𰥛到而家先𰥛醒觉。 [Cantonese, simp.]
    keoi5 fan3 dou3 ji4 gaa1 sin1 fan3 seng2 gaau3. [Jyutping]
    He slept so long that he only woke up just now.
    這先叫成長嗎 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
    这先叫成长吗 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]
    From: 2020, 薛凱琪 [Fiona Sit], lyrics by 黃偉文 [Wyman Wong], 南昌街王子 [The Prince Near You]
    ze2 sin1 giu3 sing4 zoeng2 maa3 [Jyutping]
    Only then would this be called growing?
  12. (Cantonese) first off
    你買咗未先？ [Cantonese, trad.]
    你买咗未先？ [Cantonese, simp.]
    nei5 maai5 zo2 mei6 sin1? [Jyutping]
    First off, have you even bought it yet?
  13. (Cantonese) Used to emphasize that something is/is not.
    我先唔同佢講。 [Cantonese, trad.]
    我先唔同佢讲。 [Cantonese, simp.]
    ngo5 sin1 m4 tung4 keoi5 gong2. [Jyutping]
    There's no way I'm going to tell them. / No, I am not going to tell them. / They are the last person I would tell.
    呢啲先係唱歌。 [Cantonese, trad.]
    呢啲先系唱歌。 [Cantonese, simp.]
    ni1 di1 sin1 hai6 coeng3 go1. [Jyutping]
    This is true singing.
    你先食一碗飯點會夠！ [Cantonese, trad.]
    你先食一碗饭点会够！ [Cantonese, simp.]
    nei5 sin1 sik6 jat1 wun2 faan6 dim2 wui5 gau3! [Jyutping]
    How can you be full eating only one bowl of rice?
  14. a surname
Usage notes
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  • (first; beforehand): In Standard Mandarin, 先 comes before the verb; in Cantonese, Teochew and Southeast Asian Mandarin, 先 comes after the verb (and elements such as verb aspect and verb object).
Synonyms
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Dialectal synonyms of 才 (“only after; only then; not ... until”) [map]
Variety Location Words
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 才2, 再, 方, 始, 方才
Northeastern Mandarin Taiwan 才2
Singapore 才2
Cantonese Guangzhou 先, 至, 先至
Hong Kong 先, 至, 先至
Hakka Meixian 正
Southern Min Xiamen 才3
Quanzhou 才3
Zhangzhou 才3
Singapore (Hokkien) 才3
Manila (Hokkien) 才3
Shantou 正
Singapore (Teochew) 正
Wu Shanghai 再, 才2
Suzhou 再
Xiang Changsha 才至

Compounds

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References

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Pronunciation 2

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Rime
Character 先
Reading # 2/2
Initial (聲) 心 (16)
Final (韻) 先 (85)
Tone (調) Departing (H)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) IV
Fanqie 蘇佃切
Baxter senH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/senH/
Pan
Wuyun 		/senH/
Shao
Rongfen 		/sɛnH/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/sɛnH/
Li
Rong 		/senH/
Wang
Li 		/sienH/
Bernhard
Karlgren 		/sienH/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		xiàn
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		sin3
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 先
Reading # 2/2
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin) 		xiàn
Middle
Chinese 		‹ senH ›
Old
Chinese 		/*sˁər-s/
English go first

Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:

* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;

* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 先
Reading # 2/2
No. 13467
Phonetic
component 		先
Rime
group 		文
Rime
subdivision 		1
Corresponding
MC rime 		霰
Old
Chinese 		/*sɯːns/

Definitions

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先

  1. † to guide; to initiate
  2. † to be earlier
  3. † to surpass
  4. † originally
  5. † to introduce
  6. † term of address for one's elder brother's wife

Pronunciation 3

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Definitions

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先

  1. Only used in 先馬／先马.

References

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Japanese

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Kanji

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先

(First grade kyōiku kanji)

Readings

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Compounds

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Compounds

Etymology 1

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Kanji in this term
先
さき
Grade: 1
kun'yomi
Alternative spelling
前

From Old Japanese,[1][2] from Proto-Japonic *saki. Cognate with 崎 (saki, “a (geographical) point, where the land sticks out into the water”).[3]

Pronunciation

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Noun

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先(さき) • (saki) 

  1. before, previous
    Synonym: 先に (saki ni, “adverb”)
    どっちが先(さき)か。
    Dotchi ga saki ka.
    Which one was first?
  2. end, tip
    矢(や)の先(さき)
    ya no saki
    tip of an arrow
  3. earlier, the past
  4. afterwards, the future
  5. the destination of a motion or action
    送信(そうしん)先(さき)
    sōshin-saki
    recipient
    バイト先(さき)
    baito-saki
    workplace (of a part-time job)
    行(ゆ)き先(さき)不明(ふめい)
    yuki-saki fumei
    whereabouts unknown
    お帰(かえ)り先(さき)
    o-kaeri-saki
    place of return
  6. sequel
  7. ahead, in front
    その先(さき)は森(もり)の奥(おく)。
    Sono saki wa mori no oku.
    What lies beyond there is the heart of the forest.
Derived terms
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Derived terms
Idioms
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Etymology 2

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Kanji in this term
先
さっき
Grade: 1
irregular
For pronunciation and definitions of 先 – see the following entry.
【さっき】
[adverb] (colloquial) Synonym of 先ほど (sakihodo)
[adverb] a little time ago
[adverb] some time ago
[adverb] just now
(This term, 先, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Etymology 3

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Kanji in this term
先
せん
Grade: 1
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 先 (MC sen|senH).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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先(せん) • (sen) 

  1. before, previous
Derived terms
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Derived terms

References

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  1. ^ Omodaka, Hisataka (1967) 時代別国語大辞典 上代編 (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN, page 322
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 “さき 【先・前】Paid subscription required”, in 日本国語大辞典‎[1] (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000-2002, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here
  3. ^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  4. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  5. ^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

Korean

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Etymology 1

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From Middle Chinese 先 (MC sen).

Historical readings

Pronunciation

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Hanja

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Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

Wikisource

先 (eumhun 먼저 선 (meonjeo seon))

  1. Hanja form? of 선 (“first; foremost”).
  2. Hanja form? of 선 (“former; previous”).

Compounds

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Compounds

Etymology 2

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Related to Middle Chinese 洗 (MC sejX).

Hanja

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先 (eumhun 전구(前驅) 세)

  1. (archaic) hanja form? of 세 (“to lead; to guide”)

Compounds

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Compounds

References

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  • 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [3]

Vietnamese

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Han character

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先: Hán Việt readings: tiên (蘇(tô)前(tiền)切(thiết))[1][2][3][4][5], tiến[5]
先: Nôm readings: tiên[1][2][3][4][6], tên[1], ten[3], teng[3]

  1. Chữ Hán form of tiên (“first; prior; before”).

Compounds

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Compounds

References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Nguyễn (2014).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Nguyễn et al. (2009).
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Trần (2004).
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Bonet (1899).
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Génibrel (1898).
  6. ^ Taberd & Pigneau de Béhaine (1838).
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