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CL:	Classifiers for this word

Simplified Pīnyīn		English Definition	Traditional HSK
先生 xiānsheng	先生 \| 先生* \| *先生	teacher / husband / doctor (dialect) / CL: 位	HSK 1


先 xiān	先 \| 先* \| *先	early / prior / former / in advance / first	HSK 3


首先 shǒuxiān	首先 \| 首先* \| *首先	first (of all) / in the first place	HSK 4


事先 shìxiān	事先 \| 事先* \| *事先	in advance / before the event / beforehand / prior	HSK 5


先进 xiānjìn	先进 \| 先进* \| *先进	advanced (technology) / to advance	先進 HSK 6


领先 lǐngxiān	领先 \| 领先* \| *领先	to lead / to be in front	領先 HSK 6


优先 yōuxiān	优先 \| 优先* \| *优先	to have priority / to take precedence	優先 HSK 6


预先 yùxiān	预先 \| 预先* \| *预先	beforehand / in advance	預先 HSK 6


先前 xiānqián	先前 \| 先前* \| *先前	before / previously	HSK 6


祖先 zǔxiān	祖先 \| 祖先* \| *祖先	ancestor / forebears	HSK 6


原先 yuánxiān	原先 \| 原先* \| *原先	originally / original / former	HSK 6


先锋 xiānfēng	先锋 \| 先锋* \| *先锋	vanguard / pioneer / avant-garde	先鋒


先生 Xiānsheng	先生 \| 先生* \| *先生	Mister (Mr.)


先后 xiānhòu	先后 \| 先后* \| *先后	early or late / priority / in succession / one after another	先後


抢先 qiǎngxiān	抢先 \| 抢先* \| *抢先	to rush (to do sth urgent) / to try to be the first / to forestall	搶先


先行 xiānxíng	先行 \| 先行* \| *先行	to precede others / in advance


先机 xiānjī	先机 \| 先机* \| *先机	key moment / decisive opportunity	先機


率先 shuàixiān	率先 \| 率先* \| *率先	to take the lead / to show initiative


先知 xiānzhī	先知 \| 先知* \| *先知	prophet


先进集体 xiānjìnjítǐ	先进集体 \| 先进集体* \| *先进集体	(official accolade) advanced team / exemplary group	先進集體


先导 xiāndǎo	先导 \| 先导* \| *先导	guide / forerunner / pioneer	先導


先锋队 xiānfēngduì	先锋队 \| 先锋队* \| *先锋队	vanguard	先鋒隊


少先队 Shào Xiānduì	少先队 \| 少先队* \| *少先队	Young Pioneers of China, abbr. for 少年先鋒隊｜少年先锋队	少先隊


争先 zhēngxiān	争先 \| 争先* \| *争先	to compete to be first / to contest first place	爭先


先发 xiānfā	先发 \| 先发* \| *先发	to take preemptive action / (sports) to be in the starting lineup / (of a baseball pitcher) to be the starting pitcher	先發


先河 xiānhé	先河 \| 先河* \| *先河	priority / sth advocated first / refers to ancient tradition: Worship the river first, then the sea.


先驱 xiānqū	先驱 \| 先驱* \| *先驱	pioneer	先驅


先秦 xiān Qín	先秦 \| 先秦* \| *先秦	pre-Qin, Chinese history up to the foundation of the Qin imperial dynasty in 221 BC


领先地位 lǐngxiāndìwèi	领先地位 \| 领先地位* \| *领先地位	lead(ing) position	領先地位


先决条件 xiānjuétiáojiàn	先决条件 \| 先决条件* \| *先决条件	precondition / prerequisite	先決條件


先天 xiāntiān	先天 \| 先天* \| *先天	inborn / innate / natural


先进个人 xiānjìngèrén	先进个人 \| 先进个人* \| *先进个人	(official accolade) advanced individual / exemplary individual	先進個人


先后顺序 xiānhòushùnxù	先后顺序 \| 先后顺序* \| *先后顺序	order of priority / sequential order	先後順序


急先锋 jíxiānfēng	急先锋 \| 急先锋* \| *急先锋	daring vanguard / pioneer / leading figure	急先鋒


先进水平 xiānjìnshuǐpíng	先进水平 \| 先进水平* \| *先进水平	advanced level	先進水平


先烈 xiānliè	先烈 \| 先烈* \| *先烈	martyr


先进先出 xiānjìnxiānchū	先进先出 \| 先进先出* \| *先进先出	(computing, inventory management etc) first in, first out	先進先出


敢为人先 gǎnwéirénxiān	敢为人先 \| 敢为人先* \| *敢为人先	to dare to be first / to pioneer (idiom)	敢為人先


先验 xiānyàn	先验 \| 先验* \| *先验	a priori (philosophy)	先驗


优先股 yōuxiāngǔ	优先股 \| 优先股* \| *优先股	preferred stock	優先股


一马当先 yīmǎdāngxiān	一马当先 \| 一马当先* \| *一马当先	to take the lead	一馬當先


先睹为快 xiāndǔwéikuài	先睹为快 \| 先睹为快* \| *先睹为快	joy of first experience (idiom) / the pleasure of reading sth for the first time	先睹為快


在先 zàixiān	在先 \| 在先* \| *在先	to come first / previous / prior / beforehand / first / formerly


憨豆先生 Hāndòu Xiānsheng	憨豆先生 \| 憨豆先生* \| *憨豆先生	Mr. Bean (TV)


先辈 xiānbèi	先辈 \| 先辈* \| *先辈	elders / former generations	先輩


先决 xiānjué	先决 \| 先决* \| *先决	prerequisite / precondition	先決


起先 qǐxiān	起先 \| 起先* \| *起先	at first / in the beginning


先到先得 xiāndàoxiāndé	先到先得 \| 先到先得* \| *先到先得	first come first served


先期 xiānqī	先期 \| 先期* \| *先期	in advance / beforehand / premature / front-end


先兆 xiānzhào	先兆 \| 先兆* \| *先兆	omen


先令 xiānlìng	先令 \| 先令* \| *先令	shilling (loanword)


遥遥领先 yáoyáolǐngxiān	遥遥领先 \| 遥遥领先* \| *遥遥领先	a long way in front / to lead by a wide margin	遙遙領先


革命先烈 gémìngxiānliè	革命先烈 \| 革命先烈* \| *革命先烈	martyr to the revolution


先见之明 xiānjiànzhīmíng	先见之明 \| 先见之明* \| *先见之明	foresight	先見之明


先达 xiāndá	先达 \| 先达* \| *先达	famous and virtuous ancestors / the great men of the past	先達


事先通知 shìxiāntōngzhī	事先通知 \| 事先通知* \| *事先通知	preliminary notification / to announce in advance


算命先生 suànmìngxiānsheng	算命先生 \| 算命先生* \| *算命先生	fortune-teller


先驱者 xiānqūzhě	先驱者 \| 先驱者* \| *先驱者	pioneer	先驅者


争先恐后 zhēngxiānkǒnghòu	争先恐后 \| 争先恐后* \| *争先恐后	striving to be first and fearing to be last (idiom); outdoing one another	爭先恐後


先贤 xiānxián	先贤 \| 先贤* \| *先贤	worthy predecessor / distinguished person of the past / former sage	先賢


先斩后奏 xiānzhǎnhòuzòu	先斩后奏 \| 先斩后奏* \| *先斩后奏	first decapitate then present your trophy (idiom); act first, report later	先斬後奏


少年先锋队 Shàonián Xiānfēngduì	少年先锋队 \| 少年先锋队* \| *少年先锋队	Young Pioneers of China (primary school league, a preparation for Communist Youth League) / abbr. to 少先隊｜少先队	少年先鋒隊


女士优先 nǚshìyōuxiān	女士优先 \| 女士优先* \| *女士优先	Ladies first!	女士優先


不首先使用 bùshǒuxiānshǐyòng	不首先使用 \| 不首先使用* \| *不首先使用	no first use (policy for nuclear weapons) / NFU


赛先生 Sàixiānsheng	赛先生 \| 赛先生* \| *赛先生	"Mr Science", phrase used during the May 4th Movement 五四運動｜五四运动 / abbr. for 賽因斯｜赛因斯 / see also 德先生	賽先生


先觉 xiānjué	先觉 \| 先觉* \| *先觉	person with foresight	先覺


先祖 xiānzǔ	先祖 \| 先祖* \| *先祖	deceased grandfather / ancestry


风水先生 fēngshuǐxiānsheng	风水先生 \| 风水先生* \| *风水先生	feng shui master / geomancer / stock figure in folk tales, as a wise adviser or a charlatan	風水先生


先遣队 xiānqiǎnduì	先遣队 \| 先遣队* \| *先遣队	advance party / advance troops	先遣隊


先头 xiāntóu	先头 \| 先头* \| *先头	in advance / ahead / before / previously	先頭


先有 xiānyǒu	先有 \| 先有* \| *先有	prior / preexisting


先进武器 xiānjìnwǔqì	先进武器 \| 先进武器* \| *先进武器	advanced weapon	先進武器


欲善其事，必先利其器 yùshànqíshì, bìxiānlìqíqì	欲善…其器 \| 欲善…其器* \| *欲善…其器	To do a good job, an artisan needs the best tools (idiom). Good tools are prerequisite to the successful execution of a job


后进先出 hòujìnxiānchū	后进先出 \| 后进先出* \| *后进先出	to come late and leave first / last in, first out (LIFO)	後進先出


先锋派 xiānfēngpài	先锋派 \| 先锋派* \| *先锋派	avant-garde	先鋒派


先民 xiānmín	先民 \| 先民* \| *先民	forebears


早先 zǎoxiān	早先 \| 早先* \| *早先	previously / before


先声 xiānshēng	先声 \| 先声* \| *先声	herald / precursor / harbinger	先聲


工欲善其事，必先利其器 gōngyùshànqíshì, bìxiānlìqíqì	工欲…其器 \| 工欲…其器* \| *工欲…其器	To do a good job, an artisan needs the best tools (idiom). Good tools are prerequisite to the successful execution of a job


先发制人 xiānfāzhìrén	先发制人 \| 先发制人* \| *先发制人	to gain the initiative by striking first (idiom); to preempt / to anticipate / preemptive	先發制人


先例 xiānlì	先例 \| 先例* \| *先例	antecedent / precedent


先人 xiānrén	先人 \| 先人* \| *先人	ancestors / previous generations / my late father


占先 zhànxiān	占先 \| 占先* \| *占先	to take precedence	佔先


先入为主 xiānrùwéizhǔ	先入为主 \| 先入为主* \| *先入为主	the first impression is the strongest / to hold a preconceived notion (about sth)	先入為主


百善孝为先 bǎishànxiàowéixiān	百善孝为先 \| 百善孝为先* \| *百善孝为先	of all virtues filial piety is most important (idiom)	百善孝為先


李先念 Lǐ Xiānniàn	李先念 \| 李先念* \| *李先念	Li Xiannian (1909-1992), PRC general and politician


先下手为强 xiānxiàshǒuwéiqiáng	先下手为强 \| 先下手为强* \| *先下手为强	strike first and gain the upper hand (idiom, martial arts term); Making the first move is an advantage.	先下手為強


先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐 xiāntiānxiàzhīyōu'éryōu, hòutiānxiàzhīlè'érlè	先天…而乐 \| 先天…而乐* \| *先天…而乐	The first concern is affairs of state, enjoying the pleasure comes later. Quotation from essay On Yueyang Tower 岳陽樓記｜岳阳楼记 by Song writer Fan Zhongyan 范仲淹	先天下之憂而憂，後天下之樂而樂


从先 cóngxiān	从先 \| 从先* \| *从先	(dialect) before / in the past / previously	從先


先礼后兵 xiānlǐhòubīng	先礼后兵 \| 先礼后兵* \| *先礼后兵	peaceful measures before using force (idiom); diplomacy before violence / jaw-jaw is better than war-war	先禮後兵


先声夺人 xiānshēngduórén	先声夺人 \| 先声夺人* \| *先声夺人	to gain the upper hand by a show of strength	先聲奪人


好好先生 hǎohǎoxiānsheng	好好先生 \| 好好先生* \| *好好先生	Mr Goody-goody / yes-man (sb who agrees with anything)


出师未捷身先死 chūshīwèijiéshēnxiānsǐ	出师…先死 \| 出师…先死* \| *出师…先死	"he failed to complete his quest before death" (line from the poem "The Premier of Shu" 蜀相 by Du Fu 杜甫)	出師未捷身先死


恶人先告状 èrénxiāngàozhuàng	恶人先告状 \| 恶人先告状* \| *恶人先告状	the guilty party files the suit / the thief cries thief	惡人先告狀


先验概率 xiānyàngàilǜ	先验概率 \| 先验概率* \| *先验概率	prior probability (statistics)	先驗概率


开路先锋 kāilùxiānfēng	开路先锋 \| 开路先锋* \| *开路先锋	pioneer / trailbreaker	開路先鋒


先有后婚 xiānyǒuhòuhūn	先有后婚 \| 先有后婚* \| *先有后婚	to marry after getting pregnant	先有後婚


未卜先知 wèibǔxiānzhī	未卜先知 \| 未卜先知* \| *未卜先知	predictable / sth one can predict without being a clairvoyant


先天不足 xiāntiānbùzú	先天不足 \| 先天不足* \| *先天不足	congenital deficiency / inherent weakness


捷足先登 jiézúxiāndēng	捷足先登 \| 捷足先登* \| *捷足先登	the quick-footed climb up first (idiom) / the early bird catches the worm / first come, first served

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