先

音読おんよみ: セン

訓読くんよみ: さき

画数かくすう: 6

部首ぶしゅ: 儿（ひとあし）

Meaning

Ahead / Before / Previous

  • 先日せんじつ — the other day / a few days ago
  • 先頭せんとう — front / head (of a line, group)
  • 先行せんこう — precedence / going ahead
  • 行いき先さき — destination
  • 指先ゆびさき — fingertips
  • 先輩せんぱい — senior / upperclassman
Compound - tap to expand
  • 先さきに行いく・先行せんこうする — go ahead; go first
  • 先さきを急いそぐ — hurry ahead; press on
  • 先さきを越こす・先越さきこす — get ahead of; beat someone to it
  • 先さきが見みえる — see what lies ahead; have an outlook
  • 先走さきばしる — act too early or ahead of proper timing

先生せんせい — this word literally means “one who was born before” or “one who came ahead,” highlighting the respectful notion of someone with prior experience or knowledge.

“先” expresses both direction and order — whether someone walks ahead, speaks first, or has greater experience.

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