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先

before
Stroke count: 6

Readings

On readingセン
Kun readingさき、ま.ず
JLPT level: N5JōyōGrade 1

Meanings

  1. beforeRtK
  2. ahead
  3. future
  4. precedence
  5. previous
  1. point
  2. tip
  3. end
  4. nozzle
  5. head (of a line)

Popular Usage

先月先週先生先輩先日先程先祖先端先頭祖先先々月お先に

Radicals and components

Radical儿legs
Components
How it's built
先
  • →
    • →

Mnemonic (RtK)

ⓘ

cow (牛) · human legs (儿)

From "Remembering the Kanji" by James Heisig · Frame 263

Compound words

先月せんげつ
last month
先週せんしゅう
last week; the week before
先生せんせい
teacher; instructor; master; sensei; title or form of address for a teacher, master, doctor, lawyer, etc.
先輩せんぱい
senior (at school, work, etc.); superior; elder; older person; predecessor
先日せんじつ
the other day; a few days ago
先祖せんぞ
ancestor; forefather; foremother
先端せんたん
pointed end; tip; point; cusp (of a leaf, crescent moon, etc.); apex (of a curve)
祖先そせん
ancestor
先頭せんとう
head (of a line, group, etc.); front; lead; forefront; vanguard
指先ゆびさき
fingertip; finger; toe tip; toe
優先するゆうせんする
to preference
お先におさきに
before; previously; ahead; pardon me for leaving (before you)
軒先のきさき
edge of the eaves; house frontage
口先くちさき
lip service; mere words; professions; lips; mouth
春先はるさき
beginning of spring
刃先はさき
edge of blade
先々さきざき
distant future; inevitable future; places one goes to
先ずまず
first (of all); firstly; to begin with; before anything else; probably
先にさきに
previously; before; earlier; formerly; recently
先安さきやす
lower future quotations
先駆せんく
forerunner; precursor; pioneer; leader; outrider
先決せんけつ
deciding first; settling (a matter) first; first priority
先見せんけん
foresight; anticipation
先遣せんけん
sending ahead

On Reading Examples

彼は物理の先生ですが数学も教えられます。せんせい
He's a teacher of physics, but can also teach math.tatoeba
私たちの先生は、たびたび名簿にある名前を見落とした。せんせい
Our teacher frequently overlooked the names of people on the list.tatoeba
彼は彼らの校長先生がその翌日そこへ行くだろうと言った。せんせい
He said that their principal would go there the next day.tatoeba
彼は彼の先生を誉めちぎった。せんせい
He was profuse in his praise of his teacher.tatoeba

Kun Reading Examples

彼は頭の先から足の先まで私をじろじろ見た。さき
He stared at me from head to foot.tatoeba
彼は頭のてっぺんから足の先まで彼女を見つめました。さき
He looked at her from head to foot.tatoeba
彼は先の細い鉛筆を使う。さき
He uses a pencil with a fine point.tatoeba
彼は私をつついて先に行けと合図した。さき
He nudged me to go ahead.tatoeba

Additional Examples

彼は物理の先生ですが数学も教えられます。
He's a teacher of physics, but can also teach math.tatoeba
彼は父親の犯罪の手先であった。
He was the instrument of his father's crimes.tatoeba
私たちの先生は、たびたび名簿にある名前を見落とした。
Our teacher frequently overlooked the names of people on the list.tatoeba
彼は彼女と先週会ったことを否定した。
He denied having met her last week.tatoeba
若手の能楽師で憲人の先輩に当たる。
One of the younger Nohgakushi and Norito's senior.wiki
同年、天游門下の先輩・億川百記の娘・八重と結婚。
In the same year, Koan got married to Yae, a daughter of Hyakki OKUGAWA, Koan's classmate of Tenyu's school.wiki
先祖は藤原秀郷である。
His ancestor was FUJIWARA no Hidesato.wiki
もとは高階基実の先祖相伝領。
It was originally a territory handed down by the ancestors of TAKASHINA no Motozane.wiki
京都賞先端技術部門
The Advanced Technology category of the Kyoto Prizeswiki
先端医工学研究ユニット
Education Unit for Global Leaders in Advanced Engineering and Pharmaceutical Sciencewiki
先頭の数字は通し番号である。
The leading numbers are serial numbers.wiki
旗役として行軍の先頭に任された。
He was assigned to bear a flag, leading the march.wiki

Stroke Order

6 strokes

Practice Writing

Practice Writing 先

Draw with a guide, then from memory — checked at every step