Onyomi: セン · Kunyomi: さき, ま.ず · Meanings: ahead, before, future, precedence, previous
Kanji for ahead, before, future, precedence, previous
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Find visually similar kanji, commonly confused characters, related meanings, and useful words connected to 先.
The kanji 先 combines the symbol of a person (⺅) with a line representing a foot stepping forward. Originally, it conveyed the idea of going ahead or leading the way. Over time, 先 came to mean “before,” “ahead,” or “teacher” — someone who leads, guides, or shows the path. It embodies the concepts of precedence, guidance, and experience.
A person stepping forward — 先 means ahead, previous, or teacher, representing guidance and leadership.
Imagine someone stepping forward to show the way — that’s 先, the kanji of leadership, experience, and moving ahead.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 先 | さき | point, tip, end, nozzle | common JLPT-N5 Noun |
| 先 | さっき | a short while ago, a moment ago, just now, some time ago | common JLPT-N4 Noun, Adverb (fukushi) |
| 先 | せん | former, previous, old | Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', Noun |
| 先生 | せんせい | teacher, instructor, master | common JLPT-N5 Noun |
| 先輩 | せんぱい | senior (at work or school), superior, elder, older graduate, progenitor, old-timer | common JLPT-N4 Noun |
| 先週 | せんしゅう | last week, the week before | common JLPT-N5 Noun, Adverb (fukushi) |
| 先月 | せんげつ | last month | common JLPT-N5 Noun, Adverb (fukushi) |
| 先祖 | せんぞ | ancestor, forefather, foremother | common JLPT-N2 Noun |
| 先日 | せんじつ | the other day, a few days ago | common JLPT-N3 Noun, Adverb (fukushi) |
| 先ず | まず | first (of all), firstly, to begin with, before anything else | common JLPT-N3 Adverb (fukushi) |