先
Meanings · sin1
- early
- prior
- former
- in advance
- first
- for now
- ancestor
- pioneering
- only then
Meanings · sin3
- early
- prior
- former
- in advance
- first
- for now
- ancestor
- pioneering
- only then
About these definitions
Source definition segments, in their original order. Characters a definition cites are shown without their Mandarin pinyin; classifier lists that CC-Canto copied from CC-CEDICT are marked Mandarin. The community dictionary is not independently verified by zimai.
Reading & tones
Schematic citation-tone diagrams from the source numbers. These are not recordings or predictions of connected speech.
Same syllable, six tones
Characters whose customary Unihan reading (kCantonese) is this syllable in each tone, chosen as in the tone atlas (2013 standard level, then the number of CC-CEDICT words they form), with CC-Canto 2017's meaning for that reading; a dash means no catalogue character has that reading. Checked syllables (-p, -t, -k) normally carry tones 1, 3 and 6. Character readings, not word readings; no frequency implied.
Written characters
Both source spellings are represented. Written membership is not an etymological or semantic claim.
Mandarin comparison · separate source entries
CC-CEDICT, the Mandarin–English dictionary, lists the same written form:
- 先 xiān CC-CEDICT · Mandarinbeforehand; first; earlier; at first; originally; for the time being; for now; (prefix) my late (in referring to deceased relatives older than oneself)
A separate source entry, shown for comparison. The same characters can carry different senses in Mandarin and in Cantonese; zimai does not align these senses.
CC-Canto includes this pinyin reference: xian1. It does not establish a Mandarin word with the same meaning.
Look up this spelling in the Mandarin dictionary ↗Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 21 senses · 2 Cantonese readings
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
sin1 · sin3
Cantonese word readings for 先. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack
Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
character
- first; ahead of time; before; beforehand
- first; preceding; prior
- for the time being; for the moment
- (colloquial) earlier on; before; at first
- ancient
- deceased; late
- ancestor; forefather
- thing of utmost importance
- (abbreviation, alt-of) short for 先生 (xiānshēng)
- (abbreviation, alt-of) short for 先手 (xiānshǒu)
- (Cantonese) only then
- (Cantonese) first off
- (Cantonese) Used to emphasize that something is/is not.
- a surname
character
- to guide; to initiate
- to be earlier
- to surpass
- originally
- to introduce
- term of address for one's elder brother's wife
character
- only used in 先馬／先马
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack