先

Meaning

先 centers on being ahead in time or order: before, previous, or taking precedence. The sense of 'future' is a natural extension, as what lies ahead is yet to come.

• 先さき
  N2

  point; tip; end; nozzle

• 先生せんせい
  N5

  teacher; instructor; master

• 先ずまず
  N5

  first (of all); firstly; to begin with; before anything else

• 優先ゆうせん
  N1

  preference; priority; precedence; right of way

• 先輩せんぱい
  N4

  senior (at school, work, etc.); superior; elder; older person; predecessor

• 先日せんじつ
  N3

  the other day; a few days ago

• 先行せんこう
  N1

  going ahead; going first

• 先週せんしゅう
  N5

  last week; the week before

• 先月せんげつ
  N5

  last month

• 先進せんしん

  advanced; developed

• 先頭せんとう
  N2

  head (of a line, group, etc.); front; lead; forefront; vanguard

• 先端せんたん
  N2

  pointed end; tip; point; cusp (of a leaf, crescent moon, etc.); apex (of a curve)

• 先発せんぱつ

  starting in advance; starting first; going first; going ahead

• 先祖せんぞ
  N3

  ancestor; forefather; foremother

• 先制せんせい

  head start; initiative; preemption

• 最先端さいせんたん
  N1

  cutting edge; leading edge; forefront; state of the art

• 真っ先まっさき
  N2

  the head; the foremost; beginning; the very front

• 祖先そせん
  N3

  ancestor

• 一先ずひとまず
  N2

  for now; for the time being; for the present

• 指先ゆびさき
  N5

  fingertip; finger

• 先着せんちゃく
  N1

  arriving first

• 先駆けるさきがける

  to do (something) before (something or someone else); to be ahead of (others, the times, etc.)

• 先代せんだい
  N1

  previous generation (of a family); previous head of the family; one's (late) father

• 先手せんて

  moving first; person with the first move

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