先(xiān)

HSK 16 strokes

beforehand

Print a 先 worksheet PDFPractice writing 先

Stroke order animation

Character information

Pinyin
xiān
Meaning
beforehand; first; earlier; at first; originally; for the time being; for now; (prefix) my late (in referring to deceased relatives older than oneself)
Strokes
6
HSK level
HSK 1
Traditional
Same

Origin & structure

Where 先 comes from and how its parts fit together.

Ideograph⿱⿰？土儿

Someone stepping 止 in front of another person 儿

A combination of parts whose meanings add up to the whole.

Made of

土tǔ儿ér

Parts are arranged top to bottom.

How to write 先 step by step

6 strokes — each frame adds one stroke, shown in dark ink over the lighter ones.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6

Words with 先

Common words using 先 — tap any character to open its stroke-order page.

shì事xiān先
HSK 4

in advance; before the event; beforehand; prior

Open 事先 page →
yōu优xiān先
HSK 5

to have priority; to take precedence

Open 优先 page →
xiān先qián前
HSK 5

before; previously

Open 先前 page →
xiān先hòu后
HSK 5

early or late; first and last; priority

Open 先后 page →
xiān先lì例
HSK 7-9

precedent

Open 先例 page →
xiān先tiān天
HSK 7-9

embryonic period (contrasted with 后天)

Open 先天 page →
zhàn占xiān先

to take precedence

Open 占先 page →
jìn尽xiān先

in the first instance; as a first priority

Open 尽先 page →

Related characters

More HSK 1 characters

一七三上下不东两

From 先’s common words

事优前后例天占尽

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