| xiān | early/prior/former/in advance/first |
| 先 | early prior former |
| 先下手为强 | strike first and gain the upper hand (idiom, martial arts term); Making the first move is an advantage. |
| 先下手为强，后下手遭殃 | He who strikes first prevails, he who strikes late fails. |
| 先不先 | first of all in the first place, ... |
| 先世 | forefathers |
| 先买权 | preemption; right of preemption; preemptive right |
| 先于 | ahead of; precede |
| 先人 | forefathers |
| 先人后己 | put others before oneself; put other people's interest before one's own |
| 先令 | shilling |
| 先例 | antecedent precedent |
| 先兆 | omen |
| 先兆子痫 | toxemia of pregnancy; preeclampsia |
| 先兆流产 | threatened abortion |
| 先入为主 | lit. first impression is strongest |
| 先入之见 | prejudice |
| 先公 | deceased father deceased senior male figure |
| 先公后私 | put public interests ahead of personal interests |
| 先决 | prerequisite precondition |
| 先决条件 | precondition prerequisite |