DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

先睹為快

简先睹为快 · 繁先睹為快

Mandarin · pinyin xiān dǔ wéi kuài

(idiom) to consider it a pleasure to be among the first to read (or watch or enjoy)

Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

先: xiān · first, former, previous
睹: dǔ · look at, gaze at; observe
為: Look up this written character
快: kuài · rapid, quick, speedy, fast; soon
为: wèi · do, handle, govern, act; be

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

1–3–2–4 · xian1 du3 wei2 kuai4

Compare attested words with these syllables ↗

Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

Connected dictionary

4character links

Explore word families ↗Compare pronunciations ↗Open character structure ↗

Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.

Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

先睹為快 · find source passages ↗ · 先睹为快 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗

Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) to be the first to witness something and regard such action as a pleasure

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack