先前

Chinese

		early; prior; former early; prior; former; in advance; first	front, forepart; in front; past front, forepart; in front; past; former; previous; last; before; preceding; earlier; ago; future; time ahead; first; top; battlefront; to move forward
trad. (先前)		先	前
simp. #(先前)		先	前

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xiānqián

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄢ ㄑㄧㄢˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): sin¹ cin⁴

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): siên-chhièn

  (Meixian, Guangdong): xiên¹ qiên²

• Northern Min (KCR): sáing-chîng
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): sian-chiân
• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹shi-zhi
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): sienn¹ zienn²

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xiānqián
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄢ ㄑㄧㄢˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: siancián
    • Wade–Giles: hsien¹-chʻien²
    • Yale: syān-chyán
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shianchyan
    • Palladius: сяньцянь (sjanʹcjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: sin¹ cin⁴
    • Yale: sīn chìhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: sin¹ tsin⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: xin¹ qin⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siːn⁵⁵ t͡sʰiːn²¹/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: siên-chhièn
    • Hakka Romanization System: xien´ qienˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: xian¹ qian²
    • Sinological IPA: /si̯en²⁴ t͡sʰi̯en¹¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: xiên¹ qiên²
    • Sinological IPA: /siɛn⁴⁴⁻³⁵ t͡sʰiɛn¹¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: sáing-chîng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /saiŋ⁵⁴ t͡sʰiŋ³³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sian-chiân
    • Tâi-lô: sian-tsiân
    • Phofsit Daibuun: siencieen
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /siɛn³³ t͡siɛn²⁴/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /siɛn⁴⁴⁻²² t͡siɛn²⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /siɛn⁴⁴⁻²² t͡siɛn¹³/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹shi-zhi
    • MiniDict: shi^平 zhi
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹xi-xxi
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ɕi⁵⁵ ʑi²¹/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: sienn¹ zienn²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key) (old-style): /si̯ẽ³³ t͡si̯ẽ¹³/
    • Sinological IPA ^(key) (new-style): /ɕi̯ẽ³³ t͡ɕi̯ẽ¹³/

Adverb

先前

1. before; previously
2. (Wu) originally

Synonyms

• (before):

• 上早 (Hakka)
• 以前 (yǐqián)
• 先行 (xiānxíng) (literary)
• 其先 (qíxiān) (literary)
• 前往 (qiánwǎng) (literary)
• 原在 (Hakka)
• 古者 (gǔzhě) (archaic)
• 向來／向来 (xiànglái) (archaic)
• 嘗／尝 (cháng) (literary, or used in compounds)
• 在前 (zàiqián)
• 家先 (Hakka)
• 往擺／往摆 (Hakka, Hokkien)
• 往擺仔／往摆仔 (Hokkien)
• 往者 (wǎngzhě) (literary)
• 往過／往过 (Hokkien)
• 往過仔／往过仔 (Hokkien)
• 從前／从前 (cóngqián)
• 早先 (zǎoxiān)
• 早年所 (Hokkien)
• 早時／早时 (Hokkien)
• 昔日 (xīrì) (literary)
• 昔時／昔时 (xīshí) (literary)
• 曾
• 曾經／曾经 (céngjīng)
• 當初／当初 (dāngchū)
• 舊擺／旧摆 (Singapore Hokkien)
• 舊早／旧早 (Singapore Hokkien)
• 過前／过前 (Hainanese)

 

• (originally):

• 一插手兒／一插手儿 (yīchāshǒur) (Beijing Mandarin)
• 一開始／一开始 (yīkāishǐ)
• 上頭仔／上头仔 (Hokkien)
• 乍出猛兒／乍出猛儿 (zhàchūměngr) (Beijing Mandarin)
• 先起頭／先起头 (Wu)
• 先頭／先头 (Wu)
• 最初 (zuìchū)
• 初初 (co¹ co¹) (Cantonese, Hakka, Hokkien)
• 劈頭／劈头 (pītóu)
• 原 (yuán)
• 原來／原来 (yuánlái)
• 原先 (yuánxiān)
• 原初 (yuánchū)
• 原底 (Hokkien, chiefly Cantonese, Teochew, chiefly Cantonese)
• 原旦 (Hakka)
• 原本 (yuánběn)
• 原本榻裡／原本榻里 (⁶gnioe-pen-thaq-li) (Wu)
• 在本 (Hokkien)
• 始初 (shǐchū) (literary)
• 寢頭／寝头 (Hokkien)
• 就跟兒／就跟儿 (jiùgēnr) (Beijing Mandarin)
• 早先 (⁵tsau-shi) (Wu)
• 本來／本来 (běnlái)
• 本則來／本则来 (⁵pen-tseq-le) (Wu)
• 本底 (Hokkien)
• 本底子 (⁵pen-ti-tsy) (Wu)
• 本成 (Hokkien)
• 本然 (Hokkien)
• 本生 (⁵pen-san) (Wu)
• 當初／当初 (dāngchū)
• 當初時／当初时 (Hokkien)
• 當原初／当原初 (Quanzhou Hokkien, Xiamen Hokkien)
• 自本 (Hokkien)
• 舊底／旧底 (Hokkien)
• 起先 (qǐxiān)
• 起初 (qǐchū)
• 起始 (qǐshǐ)
• 起手 (qǐshǒu)
• 起頭／起头 (qǐtóu)
• 起首 (qǐshǒu) (literary, or Guangzhou Cantonese)
• 開先／开先 (kai¹ sienn¹) (Xiang)
• 開初／开初 (kāichū)
• 頭仔／头仔 (Hokkien)
• 頭起先／头起先 (Hokkien)
• 頭頭／头头 (Cantonese, Eastern Min, Hokkien)