先xiān

先

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Simplified · Today

简体

Simplified Chinese

Modern simplified form (簡體). 先 (xiān, "first, before") appears unchanged from its traditional counterpart, though its ancient form told a different story — the oracle bone script showed a person (儿) with a foot (止) beneath, literally depicting someone stepping ahead of the crowd. It functions as a semantic component in words like 先后 (sequence), 先进 (advanced), and 先生 (mister, literally "one born before").

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Shuowen

先 (xiān): The oracle bone form shows a foot (止) stepping forward over a horizontal line, a vivid image of moving ahead. The character thus represents going before or ahead, hence the meanings of “first” or “previous.” It is written with the foot over the line to depict the act of stepping forward, capturing the idea of precedence.

Pinyin

xiān· HSK 1

先xiān

Character evolution

Shuowen

Pinyin