先せん陣じん

せ

ん

じ

ん

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun

vanguard; advance guard

Refers to the foremost unit in a military advance, or metaphorically to those leading a movement or endeavor.

先せん陣じんを切きって敵てき陣じんに突とつ入にゅうした。
They led the charge and broke into the enemy camp.
彼かれは新しん事じ業ぎょうの先せん陣じんを務つとめた。
He served as the vanguard of the new business venture.

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Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉が先せん陣じんを務つとめるfor someone to serve as the vanguard
彼かれが先せん陣じんを務つとめて交こう渉しょうに当あたった。
He took the lead and handled the negotiations.
〈人ひと〉が先せん陣じんに立たつto stand at the forefront, leading the way
新しん入にゅう社しゃ員いんが先せん陣じんに立たって新しん企き画かくを進すすめた。
The new employee took the lead in pushing the new project forward.

Expressions

先せん陣じんを切きるtake the lead; spearhead; be the first to act

Kanji

先before, ahead, previous
陣camp, battle array, ranks

Related words

先せん鋒ぽう
先陣 keeps a strong military connotation and appears fixed in 先陣を切る, while 先鋒 is more common in sports and competitive contexts for the leading member of a group.
先せん頭とうN2
先頭 is a general word for the front position in any line or effort, whereas 先陣 specifically evokes a military advance guard or pioneering group.
一いち番ばん乗のり
先陣 is a formal, military term for the vanguard or first to charge into battle, while 一番乗り can be used both for that historical sense and for everyday 'first to arrive' situations.

Opposites

後こう陣じん
後陣 is the rear guard that follows behind, the opposite of 先陣, the advance guard that goes first.

Don't confuse with

先せん進しん
先陣 (せんじん) means a vanguard or advance guard, while 先進 (せんしん) means advanced or pioneering, and the similar sound often causes learners to mix them up.

Word family

先せん陣じん争あらそい
competition to be first; race to lead the charge

Etymology

Compound of 先 (せん, 'front') and 陣 (じん, 'camp' or 'battle formation'). The combination naturally yields the meaning of the foremost part of a military formation.