Kanji 先 — "Previous"
Here is what 先 means, how it is read, what it is built from, and a story that makes "Previous" stick.
Also means: Ahead, Past
How it is read
せん
the reading borrowed from Chinese — usually appears in compound words
さき, ま.ず
the native Japanese reading — usually appears when the kanji stands alone
How to remember it
Kanji are not random strokes. Learn the parts and the whole becomes easy. Put the parts together into one picture. The stranger it is, the harder it is to forget.
A Cow standing on just two Legs — you've definitely never seen one like this Previously!
- 牛 Cow
See how it's the shape of a Cow turning sideways to you? The stroke on the left is the cow's face and horn.
- ⼉ Legs
It might look like Slide and Hook combined, but it's actually the shape of a pair of Legs standing coolly.
Words that use 先
12 of 23 words in the app that contain this kanji — the most common ones first.
- 先生 せんせい teacher, professor, master
- 先に さきに before, ahead, first
- 先輩 せんぱい senior members of a group
- 先 さき / せん ahead, before, earlier, tip, future
- 先日 せんじつ the other day, a few days ago
- 先週 せんしゅう last week
- 優先 ゆうせん preference, priority
- 先月 せんげつ last month
- お先に おさきに before, after you
- 先代 せんだい family predecessor, previous age, previous generation
- 真っ先 まっさき foremost, beginning
- 先祖 せんぞ ancestor
Want 先 to still be there next month?
Reading it once is not remembering it. The app brings each kanji back right before you would have forgotten it.
