先生 Xiānsheng/xiānsheng, Mister (Mr.), teacher/husband/doctor (dialect)/CL:位[wèi] 先 xiān, early/prior/former/in advance/first 首先 shǒuxiān, first (of all)/in the first place 领先 lǐngxiān, [領先], to lead/to be in front 事先 shìxiān, in advance/before the event/beforehand/prior 先进 xiānjìn, [先進], advanced (technology)/to advance 先知 xiānzhī, prophet 优先 yōuxiān, [優先], to have priority/to take precedence 祖先 zǔxiān, ancestor/forebears 先前 xiānqián, before/previously 原先 yuánxiān, originally/original/former 最先 zuìxiān, (the) very first 预先 yùxiān, [預先], beforehand/in advance 先例 xiānlì, antecedent/precedent 抢先 qiǎngxiān, [搶先], to rush (to do sth urgent)/to try to be the first/to forestall 早先 zǎoxiān, previously/before 起先 qǐxiān, at first/in the beginning 先锋 xiānfēng, [先鋒], vanguard/pioneer/avant-garde 先驱 xiānqū, [先驅], pioneer 先行 xiānxíng, to precede others/in advance 先后 xiānhòu, [先後], early or late/priority/in succession/one after another 先令 xiānlìng, shilling (loanword) 遥遥领先 yáoyáolǐngxiān, [遙遙領先], a long way in front/to lead by a wide margin 先辈 xiānbèi, [先輩], elders/former generations 好好先生 hǎohǎoxiānsheng, Mr Goody-goody/yes-man (sb who agrees with anything) 先发制人 xiānfāzhìrén, [先發制人], to gain the initiative by striking first (idiom); to preempt/to anticipate/preem... 先天性 xiāntiānxìng, congenital/intrinsic/innateness 先下手为强 xiānxiàshǒuwéiqiáng, [先下手為強], strike first and gain the upper hand (idiom, martial arts term); Making the firs... 率先 shuàixiān, to take the lead/to show initiative 先天 xiāntiān, inborn/innate/natural 捷足先登 jiézúxiāndēng, the quick-footed climb up first (idiom)/the early bird catches the worm/first co... 先机 xiānjī, [先機], key moment/decisive opportunity 先人 xiānrén, ancestors/previous generations/my late father 先入为主 xiānrùwéizhǔ, [先入為主], lit. first impression is strongest 先头 xiāntóu, [先頭], in advance/ahead/before/previously 先兆 xiānzhào, omen 先驱者 xiānqūzhě, [先驅者], pioneer 先祖 xiānzǔ, deceased grandfather/ancestry 有约在先 yǒuyuēzàixiān, [有約在先], to have a prior engagement 争先恐后 zhēngxiānkǒnghòu, [爭先恐後], striving to be first and fearing to be last (idiom); outdoing one another 一马当先 yīmǎdāngxiān, [一馬當先], to take the lead 先见之明 xiānjiànzhīmíng, [先見之明], foresight 在先 zàixiān, to come first/previous/prior/beforehand/first/formerly 先父 xiānfù, deceased father/my late father 先锋队 xiānfēngduì, [先鋒隊], vanguard 先河 xiānhé, priority/sth advocated first/refers to ancient tradition: Worship the river firs... 先遣队 xiānqiǎnduì, [先遣隊], advance party/advance troops 先验 xiānyàn, [先驗], a priori (philosophy) 先决条件 xiānjuétiáojiàn, [先決條件], precondition/prerequisite 先睹为快 xiāndǔwéikuài, [先睹為快], joy of first experience (idiom)/the pleasure of reading sth for the first time 先知先觉 xiānzhīxiānjué, [先知先覺], foresight/having foresight/person of foresight 开路先锋 kāilùxiānfēng, [開路先鋒], pioneer/trailbreaker 先锋派 xiānfēngpài, [先鋒派], avant-garde 先斩后奏 xiānzhǎnhòuzòu, [先斬後奏], first decapitate then present your trophy (idiom); act first, report later 先期 xiānqī, in advance/beforehand/premature/front-end 身先士卒 shēnxiānshìzú, to fight at the head of one's troops/(fig.) to take the lead 先声夺人 xiānshēngduórén, [先聲奪人], to gain the upper hand by a show of strength 先礼后兵 xiānlǐhòubīng, [先禮後兵], peaceful measures before using force (idiom); diplomacy before violence/jaw-jaw ... 先天不足 xiāntiānbùzú, congenital deficiency/inherent weakness 争先 zhēngxiān, [爭先], to compete to be first/to contest first place 先行者 xiānxíngzhě, forerunner 占先 zhànxiān, [佔先], to take precedence 先导 xiāndǎo, [先導], guide/forerunner/pioneer 先烈 xiānliè, martyr 近水楼台先得月 jìnshuǐlóutáixiāndéyuè, [近水樓臺先得月], the pavilion closest to the water enjoys moonlight first (idiom)/to benefit from... 先决 xiānjué, [先決], prerequisite/precondition 敢为人先 gǎnwéirénxiān, [敢為人先], to dare to be first/to pioneer (idiom) 未老先衰 wèilǎoxiānshuāi, to age prematurely 不首先使用 bùshǒuxiānshǐyòng, no first use (policy for nuclear weapons)/NFU 事先通知 shìxiāntōngzhī, preliminary notification/to announce in advance 从先 cóngxiān, [從先], (dialect) before/in the past/previously 优先承购权 yōuxiānchénggòuquán, [優先承購權], prior purchase right/right of first refusal (ROFR)/preemptive right to purchase 优先股 yōuxiāngǔ, [優先股], preferred stock 优先认股权 yōuxiānrèngǔquán, [優先認股權], preemptive right (in share issue) 先不先 xiānbùxiān, (dialect) first of all/in the first place 先公 xiāngōng, deceased father/deceased senior male figure 先兵后礼 xiānbīnghòulǐ, [先兵後禮], opposite of 先禮後兵|先礼后兵[xiān lǐ hòu bīng] 先决问题 xiānjuéwèntí, [先決問題], preliminary question/priority problem/issues requiring more immediate attention 先到先得 xiāndàoxiāndé, first come first served 先发 xiānfā, [先發], initial/arising first/same as 首先發起|首先发起 先后顺序 xiānhòushùnxù, [先後順序], order of priority/sequential order 先君 xiānjūn, my late father/my ancestors/the late emperor 先哲 xiānzhé, distinguished precursor/famous thinker of antiquity 先声 xiānshēng, [先聲], herald/precursor/harbinger 先大母 xiāndàmǔ, deceased paternal grandmother 先天性缺陷 xiāntiānxìngquēxiàn, birth defect 先天愚型 xiāntiānyúxíng, Down syndrome/trisomy 21 先妣 xiānbǐ, deceased mother/mother of an ancestor 先容 xiānróng, to introduce sb/to recommend 先帝遗诏 xiāndìyízhào, [先帝遺詔], posthumous edict of former emperor/Liu Bei's 劉備|刘备 edict to posterity 先慈 xiāncí, deceased mother 先有 xiānyǒu, prior/preexisting 先有后婚 xiānyǒuhòuhūn, [先有後婚], marriage arranged following a pregnancy/marriage necessitated by an unplanned pr... 先期录音 xiānqīlùyīn, [先期錄音], prerecording/to prerecord 先来后到 xiānláihòudào, [先來後到], in order of arrival/first come, first served 先民 xiānmín, forebears 先汉 xiānHàn, [先漢], pre-Han/China before to 200 BC 先王 xiānwáng, former kings/former emperors/in Confucian writing, refers esp. to the sage ruler... 先王之乐 xiānwángzhīyuè, [先王之樂], the music of former kings 先王之政 xiānwángzhīzhèng, the rule of former kings 先王之道 xiānwángzhīdào, the way of former kings 先皇 xiānHuáng, the late Emperor 先秦 xiānQín, pre-Qin, Chinese history up to the foundation of the Qin imperial dynasty in 221... 先见 xiānjiàn, [先見], foresight/prescience 先见者 xiānjiànzhě, [先見者], seer 先觉 xiānjué, [先覺], person with foresight 先贤 xiānxián, [先賢], worthy predecessor/distinguished person of the past/former sage 先达 xiāndá, [先達], famous and virtuous ancestors/the great men of the past 先进个人 xiānjìngèrén, [先進個人], (official accolade) advanced individual/exemplary individual 先进武器 xiānjìnwǔqì, [先進武器], advanced weapon 先进水平 xiānjìnshuǐpíng, [先進水平], advanced level 先进集体 xiānjìnjítǐ, [先進集體], (official accolade) advanced team/exemplary group 先鞭 xiānbiān, to take precedence/to make an early start/to lead the way 先验概率 xiānyàngàilǜ, [先驗概率], prior probability (statistics) 兵马未动，粮草先行 bīngmǎwèidòng,liángcǎoxiānxíng, [兵馬未動，糧草先行], before the troops move, fodder and provisions go first (idiom); logistics comes ... 其先 qíxiān, previously/before that/up to then 后进先出 hòujìnxiānchū, [後進先出], to come late and leave first/last in, first out (LIFO) 国际先驱论坛报 GuójìXiānqūLùntánBào, [國際先驅論壇報], International Herald Tribune 大先知书 Dàxiānzhīshū, [大先知書], the biblical books of the prophets 女士优先 nǚshìyōuxiān, [女士優先], Ladies first! 少先队 ShàoXiānduì, [少先隊], Young Pioneers of China, abbr. for 少年先鋒隊|少年先锋队[Shào nián Xiān fēng duì] 少年先锋队 ShàoniánXiānfēngduì, [少年先鋒隊], Young Pioneers of China (primary school league, a preparation for Communist Yout... 尽先 jǐnxiān, [儘先], in the first instance/as a first priority 巴先 bāxiān, percent (loanword) 开先 kāixiān, [開先], at first 德先生 Déxiānsheng, "Mr Democracy", phrase used during the May 4th Movement 五四運動|五四运动[Wǔ sì Yùn dòng... 急先锋 jíxiānfēng, [急先鋒], daring vanguard/pioneer/leading figure 恶人先告状 èrénxiāngàozhuàng, [惡人先告狀], the guilty party files the suit/the thief cries thief 意存笔先，画尽意在 yìcúnbǐxiān,huàjìnyìzài, [意存筆先，畫盡意在], the idea is present before the first stroke of the brush, when the last stroke i... 憨豆先生 HāndòuXiānsheng, Mr. Bean (TV) 戴克里先 Dàikèlǐxiān, Diocletian (c. 245-311), Roman emperor 承先启后 chéngxiānqǐhòu, [承先啟後], see 承前啟後|承前启后[chéng qián qǐ hòu] 按时间先后 ànshíjiānxiānhòu, [按時間先後], chronological 春江水暖鸭先知 chūnjiāngshuǐnuǎnyāxiānzhī, [春江水暖鴨先知], lit. the duck is the first to know if the spring water is warm (idiom)/fig. an e... 未卜先知 wèibǔxiānzhī, predictable/sth one can predict without being a clairvoyant 李先念 LǐXiānniàn, Li Xiannian (1909-1992), PRC general and politician 欲善其事，必先利其器 yùshànqíshì,bìxiānlìqíqì, To do a good job, an artisan needs the best tools (idiom). Good tools are prereq... 溘先朝露 kèxiānzhāolù, the morning dew will swiftly dissipate (idiom); fig. ephemeral and precarious na... 爱罗先珂 Àiluóxiānkē, [愛羅先珂], Vasili Eroshenko (1890-1952), Russian writer and poet who wrote in Esperanto and... 白先勇 BáiXiānyǒng, Bai Xianyong (1937-), Chinese-Taiwanese-US novelist of Hui descent 百善孝为先 bǎishànxiàowéixiān, [百善孝為先], of all virtues filial piety is most important (idiom) 直系祖先 zhíxìzǔxiān, direct ancestor 笨鸟先飞 bènniǎoxiānfēi, [笨鳥先飛], lit. the clumsy bird flies early (idiom); fig. to work hard to compensate for on... 算命先生 suànmìngxiānsheng, fortune-teller 缠夹二先生 chánjiāèrxiānsheng, [纏夾二先生], annoying muddle-headed person who gabbles unintelligibly 账房先生 zhàngfángxiānsheng, [賬房先生], bookkeeper (old) 赛先生 Sàixiānsheng, [賽先生], "Mr Science", phrase used during the May 4th Movement 五四運動|五四运动[Wǔ sì Yùn dòng]/... 身先朝露 shēnxiānzhāolù, body will go with the morning dew (idiom); fig. ephemeral and precarious nature ... 闻风先遁 wénfēngxiāndùn, [聞風先遁], to flee at hearing the news (idiom) 革命先烈 gémìngxiānliè, martyr to the revolution 领先地位 lǐngxiāndìwèi, [領先地位], lead(ing) position 风水先生 fēngshuǐxiānsheng, [風水先生], feng shui master/geomancer/stock figure in folk tales, as a wise adviser or a ch...