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CL:	Classifiers for this word

Simplified Pīnyīn		English Definition	Traditional HSK
先 xiān	先 \| 先* \| *先	early / prior / former / in advance / first	HSK 3


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


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


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


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


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


先生 xiānsheng	先生 \| 先生* \| *先生	teacher / husband / doctor (dialect) / CL: 位	HSK 1


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


先驱 xiānqū	先驱 \| 先驱* \| *先驱	pioneer	先驅


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


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


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


先烈 xiānliè	先烈 \| 先烈* \| *先烈	martyr


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


先知 xiānzhī	先知 \| 先知* \| *先知	prophet


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


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


先兆 xiānzhào	先兆 \| 先兆* \| *先兆	omen


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


先天性 xiāntiānxìng	先天性 \| 先天性* \| *先天性	congenital / intrinsic / innateness


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


先发 xiānfā	先发 \| 先发* \| *先发	initial / arising first / same as 首先發起｜首先发起	先發


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


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


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


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


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


按时间先后 ànshíjiānxiānhòu	按时间先后 \| 按时间先后* \| *按时间先后	chronological	按時間先後


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


先入为主 xiānrùwéizhǔ	先入为主 \| 先入为主* \| *先入为主	lit. first impression is strongest	先入為主


先民 xiānmín	先民 \| 先民* \| *先民	forebears


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)


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


先见 xiānjiàn	先见 \| 先见* \| *先见	foresight / prescience	先見


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


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


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


笨鸟先飞 bènniǎoxiānfēi	笨鸟先飞 \| 笨鸟先飞* \| *笨鸟先飞	lit. the clumsy bird flies early (idiom); fig. to work hard to compensate for one's limited abilities	笨鳥先飛


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


先王之道 xiānwángzhīdào	先王之道 \| 先王之道* \| *先王之道	the way of former kings


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


先兵后礼 xiānbīnghòulǐ	先兵后礼 \| 先兵后礼* \| *先兵后礼	opposite of 先禮後兵｜先礼后兵	先兵後禮


先大母 xiāndàmǔ	先大母 \| 先大母* \| *先大母	deceased paternal grandmother


先知先觉 xiānzhīxiānjué	先知先觉 \| 先知先觉* \| *先知先觉	foresight / having foresight / person of foresight	先知先覺


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


春江水暖鸭先知 chūnjiāngshuǐnuǎnyāxiānzhī	春江…先知 \| 春江…先知* \| *春江…先知	lit. the duck is the first to know if the spring water is warm (idiom) / fig. an expert in the field knows which way the wind blows	春江水暖鴨先知


近水楼台先得月 jìnshuǐlóutáixiāndéyuè	近水…得月 \| 近水…得月* \| *近水…得月	the pavilion closest to the water enjoys moonlight first (idiom) / to benefit from intimacy with an influential person	近水樓臺先得月


德先生 Déxiānsheng	德先生 \| 德先生* \| *德先生	"Mr Democracy", phrase used during the May 4th Movement 五四運動｜五四运动 / abbr. for 德謨克拉西｜德谟克拉西 / see also 賽先生｜赛先生


先不先 xiānbùxiān	先不先 \| 先不先* \| *先不先	(dialect) first of all / in the first place


白先勇 Bái Xiānyǒng	白先勇 \| 白先勇* \| *白先勇	Bai Xianyong (1937-), Chinese-Taiwanese-US novelist of Hui descent


先来后到 xiānláihòudào	先来后到 \| 先来后到* \| *先来后到	in order of arrival / first come, first served	先來後到


未老先衰 wèilǎoxiānshuāi	未老先衰 \| 未老先衰* \| *未老先衰	to age prematurely


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


先王之乐 xiānwángzhīyuè	先王之乐 \| 先王之乐* \| *先王之乐	the music of former kings	先王之樂


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


兵马未动，粮草先行 bīngmǎwèidòng, liángcǎoxiānxíng	兵马…先行 \| 兵马…先行* \| *兵马…先行	before the troops move, fodder and provisions go first (idiom); logistics comes before military maneuvers / an army marches on its stomach	兵馬未動，糧草先行

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