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): ㄒㄧㄢㄑㄧㄢˊ
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: ㄒㄧㄢㄑㄧㄢˊ
  - 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 Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: siên-chhièn
  - Hakka Romanization System: xien^ˊ qien^ˇ
  - 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

before; previously
(Wu) originally

Synonyms

(before):

edit

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):

edit

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)