先 (sin1 | xian1) : first; before; temporarily

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先

sin1

xian1

[1] [n] first; lead; initiative | [ant] 後
[2] [adv] before; early on; in advance
[3] [adv] temporarily; for the time being; for now
[4] [n] elder generation; ancestor; forefather
[5] [adj] leading; pioneering; initiating
[6] [adj] preceding; early; antecedent
[7] [粵] [adv] only then/after (shortened for 先至)

Additional PoS:

Stroke count: 6

Level: 1

Radical: 儿 (#10)

This character is used in both Cantonese and Mandarin/Standard written Chinese.

先

This word has been viewed 24278 times since 30th Oct 2012, was added by sheik on 18th Mar 2007 21:22 and last edited on 24th Jun 2013 15:42

Output this character as a high resolution image

按時間先後 on3 si4 gaan3 sin1 hau6 an4 shi2 jian4 xian1 hou4 = chronological

先生 sin1 saang1 xian1 sheng5 = mister, Mr.; husband; teacher

先人 sin1 jan4 xian1 ren2 = forefathers

先夫 sin1 fu1 xian1 fu1 = my late husband; [華] 亡夫

頭先 tau4 sin1 = just now; a moment ago 粵

先至 sin1 zi3 = not until; only then 粵

係噉先 hai6 gam2 sin1 = that's it for now; that's all for now 粵

早先 zou2 sin1 zao3 xian1 = earlier; previously 國

首先 sau2 sin1 shou3 xian1 = firstly

祖先 zou2 sin1 zu3 xian1 = ancestors

先知 sin1 zi1 xian1 zhi1 = only then know

係唔係先 hai6 m4 hai6 sin1 = do you agree with me? don't you! 粵

係咪先 hai6 mai6 sin1 = do you agree with me? don't you! 粵

先祖 sin1 zou2 xian1 zu3 = deceased grandfather; ancestry; ancestor

先禮後兵 sin1 lai5 hau6 bing1 xian1 li3 hou4 bing1 = words before blows

先輩 sin1 bui3 xian1 bei4 = forefather; elder generation

先進 sin1 zeon3 xian1 jin4 = advanced

事先 si6 sin1 shi4 xian1 = prior; in advance; beforehand

預先 jyu6 sin1 yu4 xian1 = prior

優先 jau1 sin1 you1 xian1 = priority, in advance, ahead

原先 jyun4 sin1 yuan2 xian1 = former; original

爭先恐後 zang1 sin1 hung2 hau6 zheng1 xian1 kong3 hou4 = compete with one another over something

先前 sin1 cin4 xian1 qian2 = before; previously

先後 sin1 hau6 xian1 hou4 = early or late; priority; in order; in succession

先行 sin1 haang4 xian1 xing2 = to go in advance; to go first

行先 haang4 sin1 = to go first 粵

先鋒 sin1 fung1 xian1 feng1 = pioneer; Sonbong (North Korea)

打蛇先打頭 daa2 se4 sin1 daa2 tau4 da3 she2 xian1 da3 tou2 = When attacking a snake, strike the head first

率先 seot1 sin1 shuai4 xian1 = take the lead (showing initiative)

領先 ling5 sin1 ling3 xian1 = to lead; to be in front

先例 sin1 lai6 xian1 li4 = antecedent, precedent

先驅 sin1 keoi1 xian1 qu1 = pioneer

搶先 coeng2 sin1 qiang3 xian3 = to rush; to do something urgently

先頭 sin1 tau4/4*2 xian1 tou2 = ahead; before; in advance; in the past

起先 hei2 sin1 = at first; at prime tense

未學行先學走 mei6 hok6 haang4 sin1 hok6 zau2 = run before one can walk

之先 zi1 sin1 = place ahead of

你先 nei5 sin1 ni3 xian1 = (a polite request) you first, after you

睇過先啦 tai2 gwo3 sin1 laa1 = that depends 粵

睇吓先啦 tai2 haa5 sin1 laa1 = take a look 粵

先幾日 sin1 gei2 jat6 = a few days ago 粵

不首先使用 bat1 sau2 sin1 sai2 jung6 bu4 shou3 xian1 shi3 yong4 = no first use 國

求先 kau4 sin1 = just now 粵

先天 sin1 tin1 xian1 tian1 = inborn; innate

先天性缺陷 sin1 tin1 sing3 kyut3 haam6 xian1 tian1 xing4 que1 xian4 = birth defect

先見之明 sin1 gin3 zi1 ming4 xian1 jian4 zhi1 ming2 = foresight

先見者 sin1 gin3 ze2 xian1 jian4 zhe3 = seer

最先 zeoi3 sin1 zui4 xian1 = (the) very first

領先地位 ling5 sin1 dei6 wai6 ling3 xian1 di4 wei4 = lead(ing) position

中山先生 zung1 saan1 sin1 saang1 zhong1 shan1 xian1 sheng1 = Mr. Sun Yatsen (honorific form)

職業健美先生 zik1 jip6 gin6 mei5 sin1 saang1 = professional bodybuilder

健美先生 gin6 mei5 sin1 saang1 = bodybuilder

卦命先生 gwaa3 meng6 sin1 saang1 = [n] a fortune teller

好好先生 hou2 hou2 sin1 saang1 hao3 hao3 xian1 sheng5 = good joe

先手 sin1 sau2 xian1 shou3 = on the offensive (in chess)

先行官 sin1 haang4 gun1 xian1 xing2 guan1 = commander of an advance unit or vanguard

小先生 siu2 sin1 saang1 xiao3xian1sheng1 = "little teacher" (student who acts as assistant)

在先 zoi6 sin1 zai4 xian1 = formerly; in the past; before

有言在先 jau5 jin4 zoi6 sin1 you3 yan2 2 zai4 xian1 = make clear beforehand; forewarn

陰陽先生 jam1 joeng4 sin1 saang1 yin1 yang2 xian1 sheng5 = geomancer (as a funeral advisor, lit., "Mister Yin-Yang")

算命先生 syun3 meng6 sin1 saang1 = a fortune teller

遲嚟先走 ci4 lai4 sin1 zau2 = late to come, first to leave; last in first out (e.g., with staff layoffs) 粵

地水先生 dei6 seoi2 sin1 saang1 = Mr. Blind Man

未見官府先打三大板 mei6 gin3 gun1 fu2 sin1 daa2 saam1 daai6 baan2 = to pay the price before getting what one wants (lit., "hit three times without having seen the official")

預先批核 jyu6 sin1 pai1 hat6 = pre-approval

先天不足 sin1 tin1 bat1 zuk1 xian1 tian1 bu4 zu2 = prenatal; congenital deficiency

少先隊 siu3 sin1 deoi6*2 shao4 xian1 dui4 = Young Pioneers

一馬當先 jat1 maa5 dong1 sin1 yi1 ma3 dang1 xian1 = take the lead; be in the forefront

遲來先上岸 ci4 lai4 sin1 soeng6 ngon6 = one who started late reaches the target faster (lit., "late to come, first to get up on the beach")

某先生 mau5 sin1 saang1 = Mr. X, Mr. So-and-so

占卦先生 zim1 gwaa3 sin1 saang1 = a fortune teller

先排 sin1 paai4 = not so long ago 粵

賬房先生 zoeng3 fong4*2 sin1 saang1 zhang4 fang2 xian1 sheng5 = an accountant; a bookkeeper

啱先 ngaam1 sin1 = just now, a moment ago 粵

先時 sin1 si4 = at first, in the beginning 粵

先一排 sin1 jat1 paai4 = not long ago; just before 粵

先個排 sin1 go3 paai4 = not long ago; just before 粵

先妣 sin1 bei2 xian1 bi3 = one's deceased mother

先考 sin1 haau2 xian1 kao3 = one's deceased father

先睹為快 sin1 dou2 wai4 faai3 xian1 du3 wei2 kuai4 = to have the pleasure to be the first person to see sth.

身先士卒 san1 sin1 si6 zeot1 shen1 xian1 shi4 zu2 = 1. for a higher ranking soldier lead his men in a charge 2. for someone to take up a position of leadership leading people on

先發制人 sin1 faat3 zai3 jan4 xian1 fa1 zhi4 ren2 = preemptive strike; steal a march

先僑 sin1 kiu4 xian1 qiao2 = overseas Chinese pioneers; overseas Chinese predecessors

先係 sin1 hai6 = only then is... 粵

優先次序 jau1 sin1 ci3 zeoi6 you1 xian1 zhi4 xu4 = order of priority

至聖先師 zi3 sing3 sin1 si1 zhi4 sheng4 xian1 shi1 = Confucius (the greatest sage of all)

開路先鋒 hoi1 lou6 sin1 fung1 kai1 lu4 xian1 feng1 = a pioneer

先烈 sin1 lit6 xian1 lie4 = martyr

先使未來錢 sin1 sai2 mei6 loi4 cin4 = spend what one has yet to earn 粵

捷足先登 zit6 zuk1 sin1 dang1 jie2 zu2 xian1 deng1 = beat to the punch; early bird catches the worm

先下手為強 sin1 haa6 sau2 wai4 koeng4 xian1 xia4 shou3 wei2 qiang2 = better strike the first blow

先進武器 sin1 zeon3 mou5 hei3 xian1 jin4 wu3 qi4 = advanced weapon

先進水平 sin1 zeon3 seoi2 ping4 xian1 jin4 shui3 ping2 = advanced level

中原城市領先指數 zung1 jyun4 sing4 si5 ling5 sin1 zi2 sou3 = Centa-City Index

國際先驅論壇報 gwok3 zai3 sin1 keoi1 leon6 taan4 bou3 = International Herald Tribune

排名不分先後 paai4 ming4 bat1 fan1 sin1 hau6 pai2 ming2 bu4 fen1 xian1 hou4 = (list of) names in no particular order

南郭先生 naam4 gwok3 sin1 saang1 = Mr. Nan Guo

戇豆先生 ngong6 dau6*2 sin1 saang1 zhuang4 dou4 xian1 sheng5 = Mr. Bean

羅先 lo4 sin1 luo2 xian1 = Rason (North Korea)

先至係 sin1 zi3 hai6 = be really 粵

緬懷先烈 min5 waai4 sin1 lit6 mian3 huai2 xian1 lie4 = cherish the memory of past martyrs

未見官先打八十 mei6 gin3 gun1 sin1 daa2 baat3 sap6 wei4 jian4 guan1 xian1 da3 ba1 shi2 = pay heavy price to pursue an objective

先敬羅衣後敬人 sin1 ging3 lo4 ji1 hau6 ging3 jan4 xian1 jing4 luo2 yi1 hou4 jing4 ren2 = fine clothes open all doors

未卜先知 mei6 buk1 sin1 zi1 wei4 bu3 xian1 zhi1 = have foresight; foresee the future

留返拜山先講 lau4 faan1 baai3 saan1 sin1 gong2 = tell someone who cares 粵

英國足球先生 jing1 gwok3 zuk1 kau4 sin1 saang1 = England's Footballer of the Year

殭屍先生 goeng1 si1 sin1 saang1 = Mr. Vampire (kung fu movie with vampires)

孩子先生 haai4 zi2 sin1 saang1 hai2 zi5 xian1 sheng1 = Mr. Children (Misuchiru, famous Japanese rock band)

先行者 sin1 hang4 ze2 xian1 xing2 zhe3 = Xianxingzhe (a.k.a., Pioneer)

Showing all 47 examples containing 先

王先生後日就返啦。粵
Mr. Wong will be coming back the day after tomorrow.

先生，請問幾位？粵
Sir, how many people?

食飯前要先洗手。粵
One should wash one's hands before having a meal.

我走先喇。粵
I have to leave earlier.

食完飯先至計啦粵
I'll have dinner first and then sort it out!
[Lit. eat-finish-rice only-then do. Std. Chinese: 吃完飯再計算吧]

蘋果，我鐘意㓟咗皮先至食粵
I like to peel apples before eating them.
[Lit. apples, I like peel [perfective zo2] skin only-then eat.]

王先生是我爸爸的好朋友。國
Mr. Wong is a good friend of my father.

首先去圖書館，然後返屋企。粵
First go to the library, then afterwards go home.

先生話聽日唔使返學。粵
The teacher said we don't need to attend class tomorrow.

究竟有雞先，定係有蛋先呢？粵 ?!
Actually, does chicken come first or egg first?

點先可以學好廣東話呢？粵
How actually can I learn Cantonese well?
[點先 is the abbreviated form of 點樣先至。先至 means ‘really; actually’ here, often used with 呢 at the end of a sentence for emphasis. See this thread for details: http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,111468,111471#msg-1114]

先生，請問有啲咩可以幫到你嘅呢？粵
Sir, how can I help you?

幾時先去食飯呀？粵
When do we go having meal?

等我睇睇先。粵
Let me see (let me have a look).

頭先佢話啲伙記已經出晒去粵
Just now he said all the delivery boys had gone out.

咁重要嘅嘢，而家先至同我講粵
Why has he left telling me such an important thing until now?
[Lit. so important [possessive particle] thing, now only with me say?]

頭先總部𠹭我，所以遲咗粵
Headquarters called me just now which is why I'm late.
[Lit. Just now headquarters call me, therefore late-already]

我頭先email畀你嗰啲資料，你收到未呀？粵
Have you get the information I emailed to you just now yet?
[Lit. I just-now email give you that information, you receive not-yet [particle]?]

香港先進過台灣粵
Hong Kong is more advanced than Taiwan.
[Lit. Hong Kong advanced surpass Taiwan]

香港先進過中國好多粵
Hong Kong is much more advanced than China.
[Lit. Hong Kong advance surpass China a lot (n.b. this is only intended to illustrate Cantonese comparatives and is not necessarily accurate!)]

〝先進〞係咩詞性呀？／係一個形容詞粵
What part of speech does "先進" belong to? / It's an adjective.
[Lit. "advanced" is what part-of-speech [particle]? / is one [counter] adjective.]

將個蘋果㓟皮先至食
Peel the apple before eating it.

王先生要經廣州前往桂林。
Mr Wong wants to go to Guilin via Guangzhou.

佢走咗好多冤枉路, 先至搵到呢份工。粵
He has taken many a roundabout way before finding this job.

係環境被逼先至去標參 粵
The circumstances forced him to kidnap.

你係先至講，唔好貪口爽喎粵
Tell me only if it is true, don't say it for the mere fun of it.

真係要多謝你雪中送炭我哋先至會捱過難關粵
We really must thank you for giving us (the money, food, material needs etc) so that we can make it through the hard times.

董先生偷拍女朋友的十來歲的女兒洗澡國
Mr. Dong is taking pictures of his girlfriend's teenage daughter bathing without her knowledge.

我想學好講嘢先。當我講得好嘅時候，就會開始學寫。而家，我只係想留到最後先至學寫。粵
I want to learn to speak first . When I can speak well, then I'll learn to write. For now, I just want to leave the writing until last.
[copied from [url=http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum/read.php?7,91899,91899#msg-91899]this thread.[/url]]

等我試下你嘅咖喱係咪咁耍家先！粵
Let me try and see if your curry is really that accomplished.

我哋嚟搓波先粵
Let's have a rally to warm up.
[[In a game of tennis or ping-pong or whatever.] Lit. We come stroke ball first. 我哋嚟搓吓波先 is okay too, with the altered meaning of "let's rally *for a while* to warm up." Further discussion: http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/]

同咁多對手競爭，點樣先至得令到自己脫穎而出呢粵
With so many other competitors, how can I ensure that I stand out from the rest?

真係住得背，而家先知佢移民咗！粵
I am really not well informed. It is now that I learn he has migrated.

一日飲八杯水先至夠健康！粵
Drinking eight glasses of water per day, only then we will be in good health!

等埋人齊先開飯粵
Wait till everyone has arrived and then start the meal

等我睩睩先. 粵
Let me have a look.

見到你頭先嘅樣，我諗你已經知道咗呢本唔係普通嘅筆記啦粵
Based on your expression just now, I guess you already know that this isn't an ordinary notebook.
[Lit. see-arrive you just-not (possessive particle) expression, I think you already know-already, this (counter) isn't ordinary (possessive particle) notebook.]

佢頭先話畀我聽佢想等陣去銀行幫人哋入票粵
He told me he wanted to go to the bank soon to cash a cheque for someone.
[頭先 implies 10 or 20 minutes ago; contrast with 啱啱 which implies a few seconds ago.]

首先係一般情報粵
First of all, we have some (new) information.
[Lit. first is one [counter] piece-of-intelligence]

呢袋衫躉喺你度先。粵
I'll leave this bag of clothes with you for the time being.

我𠱓你幾耐你先肯著返條褲呀？粵
How long did I have to nag you before you agreed to put your pants back on?
[http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum/read.php?14,120693]

租金係,等我諗諗先,噢係嘞,總共萬一文。粵
The rent is, just let me get it right, oh yes, 11,000 dollars altogether.
[The speaker uses some discourse markers to make a reply.]

講起嚟﹐我都識何先生。粵
Now you come to mention it, I know Mr Ho as well.
[起嚟 is a verb complement which means 'once you start ...'.]

打探商業情報﹐先至係佢參加旅行團嘅真正目的。粵
Spying out business secrets is the true purpose of his joining the tour.
[先至係 (to be really) is always used for emphasis.]

揈乾隻手先至出去粵
Shake off water from your hand before going out.

啲藥水會凝底，𢳆勻佢先至好飲粵
There is sediment in the medicine, shake evenly before drinking it.

佢頭先搵你嚟。粵
He has just been looking for you.
[The final particle 嚟 indicates the completion of an action.]

Legend
國 : This term is used in Mandarin/Standard written Chinese, not Cantonese.
粵 : This term is used in Cantonese, not Mandarin/Standard written Chinese.
No icon: This term is used in both Cantonese and Mandarin/Standard written Chinese.

Forum Code to link to this word:
[big][url=http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/560/]先[/url][/big]
HTML Code to link to this word:
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Decimal representation of this word: 先
Unicode code for this character: U+5148 (off-site link)

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