Skip to content

先 xiān

first (before others)

Strokes
6
Level
HSK 1
Radical
儿
Type
Ideograph
Made of 土儿 ⿱⿰？土儿

Memory hint: Someone stepping 止 in front of another person 儿

✍️ Practise writing 先 Try it here ↓

Write it yourself

Draw each stroke in the box with your mouse or finger. Wrong strokes are shown in red; after two misses the next stroke is highlighted.

Stroke 1 of 6

Example sentences with 先

Show:

Tap any word to see its pinyin and meaning and add it to your Personal Deck. Press 🔊 to hear the sentence.

  1. 先生，请坐。
    Xiānsheng, qǐng zuò.
    Sir, please sit.
    mister, please sit
  2. 你先说，好吗？
    Nǐ xiān shuō, hǎo ma?
    You speak first, okay?
    you first speak, good (question)
  3. 我们先做作业吧。
    Wǒmen xiān zuò zuòyè ba.
    Let's do our homework first.
    we first do homework (suggestion)
  4. 他没有先告诉我。
    Tā méiyǒu xiān gàosu wǒ.
    He didn't tell me first.
    he not-have first tell me
  5. 出门以前，先看看天气。
    Chūmén yǐqián, xiān kànkan tiānqì.
    Before going out, check the weather first.
    go-out before, first look-look weather

Words with 先 (13)