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Character Decomposition
Etymology
Someone stepping 止 in front of another person 儿
Meanings
beforehand; first; earlier
at first; originally
for the time being; for now
(prefix) my late (in referring to deceased relatives older than oneself)
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Words with 先 458 total
(dialect) before · in the past · previously从先cóng xiānin the first instance · as a first priority尽先jǐn xiānat first开先kāi xiānin advance · before the event · beforehand · prior事先shì xiānto lead · to be in front领先lǐng xiānat first; in the beginning起先qǐ xiānfirst of all; in the first place首先shǒu xiān(literary) my late father先公xiān gōngWestern Han dynasty (206 BC–8 AD), aka先汉Xiān Hànsource; precursor; forerunner先河xiān héearly or late; first and last; priority · in succession; one after another先后xiān hòuemperor of a former dynasty先皇xiān huángcritical opportunity先机xiān jīforesight; prescience先见xiān jiànsophisticated; advanced (technology etc) · meritorious; exemplary (deeds etc)先进xiān jìnprerequisite; necessary先决xiān juéperson of foresight先觉xiān jué
Idioms with 先 106 total Chain
lit. the clumsy bird flies early (idiom); fig. to work hard to compensate for one's limited abilities笨鸟先飞bèn niǎo xiān fēibefore the troops move, fodder and provisions go first (idiom); logistics comes before military maneuvers · an army marches on its stomach兵马未动，粮草先行bīng mǎ wèi dòng , liáng cǎo xiān xíng
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