xiān HSK 3

English Meaning

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📚 Example Sentences

你先走。
Nǐ xiān zǒu.
You go first.
我先吃饭。
Wǒ xiān chīfàn.
I eat first.
他先到了。
Tā xiān dào le.
He arrived earlier.
你先走。
Nǐ xiān zǒu.
You go first.
我先吃饭。
Wǒ xiān chīfàn.
I eat first.

💡 Memory Tip

Think of 先 as 'first in line'—it contains the radical 儿 (legs), suggesting movement or stepping ahead, so remember it as the action that goes first.

📝 Usage Notes

先 is used in both spoken and written Chinese, across formal and informal contexts. It commonly appears in instructions, plans, or narratives to describe steps in a sequence, such as in directions or procedural explanations.

📖 Grammar Points

先 is often used in the pattern '先...再/然后...' to link sequential actions, e.g., '你先吃饭,再学习' (You eat first, then study). It can also precede verbs directly, as in '我先说' (I'll speak first).

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, 先 reflects values of order and propriety, as seen in phrases like '先来后到' (first come, first served), emphasizing fairness and respect for sequence in social situations.

🔄 Similar Words

先 is similar to 首先 (shǒuxiān, 'firstly'), but 首先 is more formal and often used in lists or speeches, while 先 is more versatile for everyday sequences. It also differs from 前 (qián, 'before') which is more about position in time or space rather than an action order.

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