先せん人じん

せ

ん

じ

ん

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

Refers to people who came before and whose work or example paved the way; used in formal, historical, or respectful contexts.

学まな

ぶ

こと

は

多おお

い

。

There is much to learn from the wisdom of our predecessors.

この分ぶん野やの先せん人じんたちの努ど力りょくに感かん謝しゃします。

I am grateful for the efforts of the pioneers in this field.

前ぜん人じん
前人 is a more neutral term for 'people of the past' often used in set phrases like 前人未到, while 先人 carries a stronger nuance of respect for their legacy.
祖そ先せんN3
祖先 specifically means ancestor in a familial or evolutionary sense, while 先人 more broadly includes intellectual or professional forebears.
先せん駆く者しゃ
先駆者 emphasizes being the first to open a new field or path, while 先人 more generally honors anyone from an earlier generation whose example is respected.
先せん代だいN1
先代 refers to one's immediate predecessor in a family or role, while 先人 refers more broadly to people of past eras or history in general.

後こう人じん
後人 refers to people of later generations, the direct opposite of 先人, who came before.

仙せん人にん
仙人 (a mountain hermit or immortal sage) sounds similar to 先人 but has an entirely unrelated meaning rooted in Taoist legend.

Compound of 先 (previous, ahead) and 人 (person). The reading せんじん is the standard on'yomi combination.

When facing a difficult problem, it's also important to draw on the wisdom of those who came before.

This monument was built to honor the achievements of those who came before us.