The character 先 — “first”: how to write it and what it means
first, before
The Chinese character 先 is read xiān and means “first, before”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 先
先 has 6 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 先, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 先 is made of
先生 means “born earlier”: a respectful way to address an elder.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 先
- 先生Mr., sirHSK 1
- 首先first of all, firstlyHSK 4
- 事先in advanceHSK 5
- 先后in turn; at different timesHSK 5
- 先进advancedHSK 5
- 领先lead, be in the leadHSK 5
- 优先have priority, firstHSK 6
- 率先first, ahead of othersHSK 6
- 原先originally, at first; formerHSK 6
- 先前before, previouslyHSK 6
- 祖先ancestors, forefathersHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 先?
先 has 6 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 先 mean?
先 means “first, before”. It appears in 先生 (“Mr.”), 首先 (“first of all”), 事先 (“in advance”), 先后 (“in turn”).
How do you pronounce 先?
先 is read xiān. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 先 have?
6 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 先 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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