先in English,先translation,先Chinese English dictionary

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先 ★★

[xiān]
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Collins Chinese-English Dictionary

先 [xiān]

1. adjective [指时间] earlier

事先

beforehand
2. adjective [指人] late

先父

one's late father

Comprehensive Chinese-English Dictionary

先 [xiān]

1. adverb earlier; before somebody else; before doing something else; first; in advance

他比我先到。

He arrived earlier than I did.

我先说两句。

Let me say a few words first.
2. adverb (used with a negative word "不" , "别" , etc.) for the time being; for the moment

你先别走，我有话跟你说。

Don't leave yet, I want to have a word with you.
3. adverb [Spoken] earlier on; before; at first

你先怎么不告诉我呢？

Why didn't you tell me before?

他先说不去，后来却又改变了主意。

At first he refused to go, but later on he changed his mind.
4. noun elder generation; ancestor

祖先

ancestry; ancestors; forbears; forefathers
5. adjective deceased; late

Contemporary Standard Chinese Dictionary

先 [xiān]

1. 动走在前面

争先恐后。
2. 名空间或时间在前的

先锋。

有言在先。

事先。

先来后到。
3. 名前代人

祖先|

先民。
4. 形尊称已故去的

先父。

先师。

先烈。
5. 名原来；开始时

原先。

起先。

会议先由领导致词。

See more results for 先 in the English-Chinese Dictionary

Examples

先去上海还是先去西安没有最后定。: We haven't decided yet whether we go to Shanghai or Xi'an first.
射人先射马，擒贼先擒王。: Aim at the rider's horse: the king of brigands first to justice bring.
你先发言，或者他先发言都可以。: Whether you speak first or he does doesn't really matter.
这件事你先去调查一下，不忙表态。: Don't be in a hurry to say what you think about this. First find out the facts.
先把菠菜焯一下。: First, scald the spinach.
你要先考虑好再去，免得吃后悔药。: Think it over before you go so that you won't regret it later.
先别吹，做出具体成绩来再说。: Don't brag about what you're going to do. Get something done.
行李先存在这里，回头再来取。: Let's check our luggage here and come back for it later.
先搭好架子，再充实内容。: First make an outline, then fill in the content.
这篇文章我先打个底子，再请你修改。: I'll make a draft of the essay and then ask you to revise it.; 446 more results

Character Decomposition

 [niú]	+	儿 [ér]

Stroke Order

Total Strokes: 6

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