beforehand; first; earlier
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STROKE BY STROKE
Follow all 6 strokes in the correct order.
xiān
beforehand; first; earlier
xiān shēng
teacher; gentleman; sir; mister (Mr.); husband; (dialect) doctor
shǒu xiān
first (of all); in the first place
lǐng xiān
to lead; to be in front
shì xiān
in advance; before the event; beforehand; prior
xiān hòu
early or late; first and last; priority; in succession; one after another
xiān jìn
sophisticated; advanced (technology etc); meritorious; exemplary (deeds etc)
COMPONENTS & ETYMOLOGY
Detailed component breakdown coming soon
Use the stroke animation above to study the character’s complete form.
Traditional etymology note: Someone stepping 止 in front of another person 儿
More “xian” characters →LEARNING TIP
Say “xiān” aloud as you replay the animation. Then hide the model and write the 6 strokes from memory. Short, repeated practice builds a stronger visual and motor connection.
Practice on CanvasWORDS WITH 先
xiān shēng
teacher; gentleman; sir; mister (Mr.); husband; (dialect) doctor
shǒu xiān
first (of all); in the first place
lǐng xiān
to lead; to be in front
shì xiān
in advance; before the event; beforehand; prior
xiān hòu
early or late; first and last; priority; in succession; one after another
xiān jìn
sophisticated; advanced (technology etc); meritorious; exemplary (deeds etc)
IN CONTEXT
这个字是“先”。
Zhège zì shì “xiān”.
This character is “先”.
我正在学习“先”字。
Wǒ zhèngzài xuéxí “xiān” zì.
I am learning the character “先”.
请写一遍“先”。
Qǐng xiě yí biàn “xiān”.
Please write “先” once.
先 is written with 6 strokes.
先 (xiān) means beforehand; first; earlier.
The radical of 先 is 儿, associated with Not yet classified.