Definify.com
Definition 2025
先
先
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Translingual
| Stroke order | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
Han character
先 (radical 10 儿+4, 6 strokes, cangjie input 竹土竹山 (HGHU), four-corner 24211, composition ⿱⺧儿)
References
- KangXi: page 124, character 5
- Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 1349
- Dae Jaweon: page 260, character 6
- Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 1, page 267, character 2
- Unihan data for U+5148
Chinese
|
simp. and trad. |
先 | |
|---|---|---|
Glyph origin
| Historical forms of the character 先
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle bone script | Bronze inscriptions | Large seal script | Small seal script | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
References:
Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation),
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 |
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- Cantonese (Jyutping): sin1
- Gan (Wiktionary): xien1
- Hakka (Sixian, PFS): sîn
- Jin (Wiktionary): xie1
- Min Dong (BUC): sĕng / siĕng
- Min Nan
- Wu (Wiktionary): xi san (T1)
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese, Beijing)+
- Pinyin:
- Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄢ
- Wade-Giles: hsien1
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shian
- IPA (key): /ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵/
-
- (Standard Chinese, Beijing)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)+
- Jyutping: sin1
- Yale: sīn
- Cantonese Pinyin: sin1
- IPA (key): /siːn⁵⁵/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)+
- Gan
- Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
- Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: sîn
- Hakka Romanization System: xin´
- Hagfa Pinyim: xin1
- IPA: /ɕin²⁴/
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
- Jin
- Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
- Bàng-uâ-cê: sĕng / siĕng
- IPA (key): /sɛiŋ⁵⁵/, /sieŋ⁵⁵/
- Note: sĕng - vernacular; siĕng - literary.
- (Fuzhou)
- Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, mainstream Taiwanese)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sian
- Tâi-lô: sian
- Phofsit Daibuun: siefn
- IPA (Xiamen): /ɕiɛn⁴⁴/
- IPA (Quanzhou): /ɕiɛn³³/
- IPA (Zhangzhou): /ɕiɛn⁴⁴/
- IPA (Taipei): /ɕiɛn⁴⁴/
- IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɕiɛn⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: suiⁿ
- Tâi-lô: suinn
- Phofsit Daibuun: svuy
- IPA (Quanzhou): /suĩ³³/
- (Hokkien: mainstream Taiwanese, Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: seng
- Tâi-lô: sing
- Phofsit Daibuun: sefng
- IPA (Taipei): /ɕiɪŋ⁴⁴/
- IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɕiɪŋ⁴⁴/
- IPA (Xiamen): /ɕiɪŋ⁴⁴/
- IPA (Zhangzhou): /ɕiɪŋ⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan, Zhangzhou)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sin
- Tâi-lô: sin
- Phofsit Daibuun: syn
- IPA (Taipei): /ɕin⁴⁴/
- IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɕin⁴⁴/
- IPA (Zhangzhou): /ɕin⁴⁴/
- Note: sian - literary; suiⁿ/seng/sin - vernacular.
- (Teochew)
- Peng'im: sing1
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: sing
- IPA (key): /siŋ³³/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, mainstream Taiwanese)
- Wu
- (Shanghainese)
- Wiktionary: xi san (T1)
- IPA (key): /ɕi⁵⁵ sã²¹/
- (Shanghainese)
- 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 (Min Nan) |
/sian⁵⁵/ /siŋ⁵⁵/ |
| Fuzhou (Min Dong) | /sɛiŋ⁴⁴/ | |
| Jian'ou (Min Bei) | /siŋ⁵⁴/ | |
| Shantou (Min Nan) |
/siŋ³³/ /sõi³³/ |
|
| Haikou (Min Nan) |
/sin²³/ /ti²³/ /tai²³/ |
| Rime | ||
|---|---|---|
| Character | 先 | 先 |
| Reading # | 1/2 | 2/2 |
| Initial (聲) | 心 (16) | 心 (16) |
| Final (韻) | 先 (85) | 先 (85) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) | Departing (H) |
| Openness (開合) | Open | Open |
| Division (等) | IV | IV |
| Fanqie | 蘇前切 | 蘇佃切 |
| Reconstructions | ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang |
/sen/ | /senH/ |
| Pan Wuyun |
/sen/ | /senH/ |
| Shao Rongfen |
/sɛn/ | /sɛnH/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank |
/sɛn/ | /sɛnH/ |
| Li Rong |
/sen/ | /senH/ |
| Wang Li |
/sien/ | /sienH/ |
| Bernard Karlgren |
/sien/ | /sienH/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex |
xiān | xiàn |
| Baxter-Sagart system 1.1 (2014) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Character | 先 | 先 |
| Reading # | 1/2 | 2/2 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) |
xiān | xiàn |
| Middle Chinese |
‹ sen › | ‹ senH › |
| Old Chinese |
/*sˤər/ | /*sˤər-s/ |
| English | first | go first |
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter-Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; | ||
| Zhengzhang system (2003) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Character | 先 | 先 |
| Reading # | 1/2 | 2/2 |
| No. | 13458 | 13467 |
| Phonetic component |
先 | 先 |
| Rime group |
文 | 文 |
| Rime subdivision |
1 | 1 |
| Corresponding MC rime |
先 | 霰 |
| Old Chinese |
/*sɯːn/ | /*sɯːns/ |
Definitions
先
- first; ahead of time; before; beforehand
- This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text
{{rfdef}}.- 佢瞓到而家先瞓醒覺。 [Cantonese, trad.]
- 佢瞓到而家先瞓醒觉。 [Cantonese, simp.]
- Keoi5 fan3 dou3 ji4 gaa1sin1 fan3 seng2 gaau3. [Jyutping]
- He slept so long that he only woke up just now.
- 你先食一碗飯點會夠！ [Cantonese, trad.]
- 你先食一碗饭点会够！ [Cantonese, simp.]
- Nei5sin1 sik6 jat1 wun2 faan6 dim2 wui5 gau3! [Jyutping]
- Eating one bowl isn't enough!
- 呢啲先係唱歌。 [Cantonese, trad.]
- 呢啲先系唱歌。 [Cantonese, simp.]
- Nei1 di1sin1 hai6 coeng3 go1. [Jyutping]
- This is true singing.
- 你唔係頭先先去咗咩。 [Cantonese, trad.]
- 你唔系头先先去咗咩。 [Cantonese, simp.]
- Nei5 m4 hai6 tau4sin1 sin1 heoi3 zo2 me1. [Jyutping]
- Didn't you just go?
- (Cantonese) first off
Usage notes
- (first; beforehand) In Mandarin, 先 comes before the verb. In Cantonese, 先 comes after the verb.
Synonyms
Compounds
Derived terms from 先
|
|
|
References
- (Min Nan) “Entry #2063”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (in Chinese and Min Nan), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2011.
Japanese
Etymology
| Kanji in this term |
|---|
| 先 |
|
さき Grade: 1 |
| kun'yomi |
Noun
Derived terms
|
Idioms
- 先を越す
Kanji
先
Readings
Compounds
Terms derived from 先
|
|
|