先生 xiān sheng ㄒㄧㄢ ˙ㄕㄥ sin1 saang1 HSK 1 準備級 2 · Novice 2
- teacher
- gentleman; sir; mister (Mr.)
- husband
- (dialect) doctor
- CL: 位 wèi ㄨㄟˋ
Stroke order
Practice writing
Draw 先 (1 of 2) — stroke by stroke.
Draw each stroke of the character in order using your mouse or finger. A hint appears after three misses.
More words with these characters
先
- 事先 shì xiān ㄕˋ ㄒㄧㄢ si6 sin1 in advance
- 优先 優先 yōu xiān ㄧㄡ ㄒㄧㄢ jau1 sin1 to have priority; to take precedence
- 先例 xiān lì ㄒㄧㄢ ㄌㄧˋ sin1 lai6 precedent
- 先前 xiān qián ㄒㄧㄢ ㄑㄧㄢˊ sin1 cin4 before; previously
- 先天 xiān tiān ㄒㄧㄢ ㄊㄧㄢ sin1 tin1 embryonic period (contrasted with 后天)
Show 15 more words with 先
- 先后 先後 xiān hòu ㄒㄧㄢ ㄏㄡˋ sin1 hau6 early or late; first and last; priority
- 先进 先進 xiān jìn ㄒㄧㄢ ㄐㄧㄣˋ sin1 zeon3 sophisticated; advanced (technology etc)
- 先锋 先鋒 xiān fēng ㄒㄧㄢ ㄈㄥ sin1 fung1 vanguard; pioneer; avant-garde
- 先驱 先驅 xiān qū ㄒㄧㄢ ㄑㄩ sin1 keoi1 to pioneer
- 原先 yuán xiān ㄩㄢˊ ㄒㄧㄢ jyun4 sin1 originally
- 率先 shuài xiān ㄕㄨㄞˋ ㄒㄧㄢ seot1 sin1 to take the lead
- 祖先 zǔ xiān ㄗㄨˇ ㄒㄧㄢ zou2 sin1 ancestors; forebears
- 预先 預先 yù xiān ㄩˋ ㄒㄧㄢ jyu6 sin1 beforehand; in advance
- 领先 領先 lǐng xiān ㄌㄧㄥˇ ㄒㄧㄢ ling5 sin1 to lead
- 首先 shǒu xiān ㄕㄡˇ ㄒㄧㄢ sau2 sin1 first of all; in the first place
- 争先恐后 爭先恐後 zhēng xiān kǒng hòu ㄓㄥ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄎㄨㄥˇ ㄏㄡˋ zang1 sin1 hung2 hau6 (idiom) to compete to be first; to scramble to get ahead; to rush forward for fear of falling behind
- 占先 佔先 zhàn xiān ㄓㄢˋ ㄒㄧㄢ zim3 sin1 to take precedence
- 尽先 儘先 jǐn xiān ㄐㄧㄣˇ ㄒㄧㄢ zeon2 sin1 in the first instance
- 先主 xiān zhǔ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄓㄨˇ sin1 zyu2 former ruler; founding ruler
- 先人 xiān rén ㄒㄧㄢ ㄖㄣˊ sin1 jan4 ancestor; forefather
生
- 一生 yī shēng ㄧ ㄕㄥ jat1 sang1 all one's life; throughout one's life
- 人生 rén shēng ㄖㄣˊ ㄕㄥ jan4 sang1 life (one's time on earth)
- 再生 zài shēng ㄗㄞˋ ㄕㄥ zoi3 sang1 to be reborn
- 出生 chū shēng ㄔㄨ ㄕㄥ ceot1 saang1 to be born
- 丧生 喪生 sàng shēng ㄙㄤˋ ㄕㄥ song3 sang1 to die
Show 15 more words with 生
- 天生 tiān shēng ㄊㄧㄢ ㄕㄥ tin1 saang1 nature
- 女生 nǚ shēng ㄋㄩˇ ㄕㄥ neoi5 saang1 schoolgirl
- 学生 學生 xué sheng ㄒㄩㄝˊ ˙ㄕㄥ hok6 saang1 student
- 孪生 孿生 luán shēng ㄌㄨㄢˊ ㄕㄥ lyun4 saang1 (adj.) twin
- 师生 師生 shī shēng ㄕ ㄕㄥ si1 sang1 teachers and students
- 招生 zhāo shēng ㄓㄠ ㄕㄥ ziu1 sang1 to enroll new students
- 新生 xīn shēng ㄒㄧㄣ ㄕㄥ san1 sang1 new
- 为生 為生 wéi shēng ㄨㄟˊ ㄕㄥ wai4 sang1 to make a living
- 生人 shēng rén ㄕㄥ ㄖㄣˊ saang1 jan4 stranger
- 生前 shēng qián ㄕㄥ ㄑㄧㄢˊ sang1 cin4 (of a deceased) during one's life
- 生动 生動 shēng dòng ㄕㄥ ㄉㄨㄥˋ saang1 dung6 (of descriptions, writing etc) vivid; lively
- 生命 shēng mìng ㄕㄥ ㄇㄧㄥˋ sang1 ming6 life (as the characteristic of living beings)
- 生字 shēng zì ㄕㄥ ㄗˋ saang1 zi6 new character (in textbook)
- 生存 shēng cún ㄕㄥ ㄘㄨㄣˊ sang1 cyun4 to exist
- 生平 shēng píng ㄕㄥ ㄆㄧㄥˊ sang1 ping4 life (a person's whole life)
Idioms with these characters
- 笨鸟先飞 笨鳥先飛 bèn niǎo xiān fēi ㄅㄣˋ ㄋㄧㄠˇ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄈㄟ ban6 niu5 sin1 fei1 lit. the clumsy bird flies early (idiom); fig. to work hard to compensate for one's limited abilities
- 敢为人先 敢為人先 gǎn wéi rén xiān ㄍㄢˇ ㄨㄟˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄒㄧㄢ gam2 wai4 jan4 sin1 to dare to be first
- 捷足先登 jié zú xiān dēng ㄐㄧㄝˊ ㄗㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄉㄥ zit3 zuk1 sin1 dang1 the quick-footed climb up first (idiom)
Show 7 more idioms with 先
- 溘先朝露 kè xiān zhāo lù ㄎㄜˋ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄓㄠ ㄌㄨˋ hap6 sin1 ziu1 lou6 the morning dew will swiftly dissipate (idiom); fig. ephemeral and precarious nature of human existence
- 身先朝露 shēn xiān zhāo lù ㄕㄣ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄓㄠ ㄌㄨˋ san1 sin1 ziu1 lou6 body will go with the morning dew (idiom); fig. ephemeral and precarious nature of human existence
- 未卜先知 wèi bǔ xiān zhī ㄨㄟˋ ㄅㄨˇ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄓ mei6 buk1 sin1 zi1 (idiom) to foresee the future (without divination); to know beforehand through uncanny insight
- 闻风先遁 聞風先遁 wén fēng xiān dùn ㄨㄣˊ ㄈㄥ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄉㄨㄣˋ man4 fung1 sin1 deon6 to flee at hearing the news (idiom)
- 先睹为快 先睹為快 xiān dǔ wéi kuài ㄒㄧㄢ ㄉㄨˇ ㄨㄟˊ ㄎㄨㄞˋ sin1 dou2 wai4 faai3 (idiom) to consider it a pleasure to be among the first to read (or watch or enjoy)
- 先发制人 先發制人 xiān fā zhì rén ㄒㄧㄢ ㄈㄚ ㄓˋ ㄖㄣˊ sin1 faat3 zai3 jan4 (idiom) to gain the initiative by striking first; to preempt
- 先来后到 先來後到 xiān lái hòu dào ㄒㄧㄢ ㄌㄞˊ ㄏㄡˋ ㄉㄠˋ sin1 loi4 hau6 dou3 (idiom) in order of arrival; first come, first served
- 百弊丛生 百弊叢生 bǎi bì cóng shēng ㄅㄞˇ ㄅㄧˋ ㄘㄨㄥˊ ㄕㄥ baak3 bai6 cung4 sang1 All the ill effects appear. (idiom)
- 白面书生 白面書生 bái miàn shū shēng ㄅㄞˊ ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄕㄨ ㄕㄥ baak6 min6 syu1 sang1 lit. pale-faced scholar (idiom); young and inexperienced person without practical experience
- 变生肘腋 變生肘腋 biàn shēng zhǒu yè ㄅㄧㄢˋ ㄕㄥ ㄓㄡˇ ㄧㄝˋ bin3 sang1 zau2 jik6 lit. calamity in one's armpit (idiom); a major coup happening on one's doorstep
Show 7 more idioms with 生
- 别开生面 別開生面 bié kāi shēng miàn ㄅㄧㄝˊ ㄎㄞ ㄕㄥ ㄇㄧㄢˋ bit6 hoi1 sang1 min6 to start sth new or original (idiom); to break a new path
- 长生不老 長生不老 cháng shēng bù lǎo ㄔㄤˊ ㄕㄥ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄠˇ coeng4 sang1 bat1 lou5 (idiom) to live forever and never grow old
- 长生久视 長生久視 cháng shēng jiǔ shì ㄔㄤˊ ㄕㄥ ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄕˋ coeng4 sang1 gau2 si6 (idiom) to live forever and never grow old
- 齿颊生香 齒頰生香 chǐ jiá shēng xiāng ㄔˇ ㄐㄧㄚˊ ㄕㄥ ㄒㄧㄤ ci2 gaap3 sang1 hoeng1 lit. to feel the taste in one's mouth (idiom)
- 触景生情 觸景生情 chù jǐng shēng qíng ㄔㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄥˇ ㄕㄥ ㄑㄧㄥˊ zuk1 ging2 sang1 cing4 scene which recalls past memories (idiom)
- 出生入死 chū shēng rù sǐ ㄔㄨ ㄕㄥ ㄖㄨˋ ㄙˇ ceot1 sang1 jap6 sei2 from the cradle to the grave (idiom); to go through fire and water
- 醋海生波 cù hǎi shēng bō ㄘㄨˋ ㄏㄞˇ ㄕㄥ ㄅㄛ cou3 hoi2 sang1 bo1 lit. waves on a sea of vinegar
Example sentences
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谢谢 謝謝 您 ， 先生 。
Thank you, sir.
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这 這 是 史密斯 先生 。
This is Mr. Smith.
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王 先生 是 中国人 中國人 。
Mr Wang is from China.
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史密斯 先生 来 來 了 。
Mr. Smith came.
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这位 這位 是 安 田 先生 。
This is Mr Yasuda.
Sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY). Readings are generated automatically.