Usage of the character 先

lit. first execute the criminal, then report it to the emperor (idiom)
fig. to take some drastic action without the prior approval of higher authorities

xiāntiānyúxíng

先天愚型

[先天愚型]

Down syndrome; trisomy 21

wèibǔxiānzhī

未卜先知

[未卜先知]

predictable
sth one can predict without being a clairvoyant

lǐngxiāndìwèi

领先地位

[領先地位]

lead(ing) position

xiānzǒuyībù

先走一步

[先走一步]

to leave first (courteous expression used to excuse oneself)
(euphemism) to predecease; to die first (e.g. before one's spouse)

xiāntiānbùzú

先天不足

[先天不足]

to suffer from a congenital deficiency; to have an inherent weakness

xiānrùwéizhǔ

先入为主

[先入為主]

(idiom) the first impression is the strongest; to hold a preconceived notion (about sth)

xiānfāzhìrén

先发制人

[先發制人]

(idiom) to gain the initiative by striking first; to preempt

zhíxìzǔxiān

直系祖先

[直系祖先]

direct ancestor

wénfēngxiāndùn

闻风先遁

[聞風先遁]

to flee at hearing the news (idiom)

xiānjìnxiānchū

先进先出

[先進先出]

(computing, inventory management etc) first in, first out

chéngxiānqǐhòu

承先启后

[承先啟後]

see 承前啟後／承前启后 (chéngqiánqǐhòu)

xiānshēngduórén

先声夺人

[先聲奪人]

to gain the upper hand by a show of strength

xiānjiànzhīmíng

先见之明

[先見之明]

foresight

fēngshuǐxiānsheng

风水先生

[風水先生]

feng shui master
geomancer
stock figure in folk tales, as a wise adviser or a charlatan

xiānhòushùnxù

先后顺序

[先後順序]

sequential order

xiānwángzhīdào

先王之道

[先王之道]

the way of former kings

suànmìngxiānsheng

算命先生

[算命先生]

fortune-teller

hǎohǎoxiānsheng

好好先生

[好好先生]

Mr Goody-goody
yes-man (sb who agrees with anything)

gémìngxiānliè

革命先烈

[革命先烈]

martyr to the revolution

xiānláihòudào

先来后到

[先來後到]

in order of arrival; first come, first served

xiāndǔwéikuài

先睹为快

[先睹為快]

(idiom) to consider it a pleasure to be among the first to read (or watch or enjoy)

xiānlǐhòubīng

先礼后兵

[先禮後兵]

lit. peaceful measures before using force (idiom)
fig. diplomacy before violence; jaw-jaw is better than war-war

xiānjuétiáojiàn

先决条件

[先決條件]

a precondition; a prerequisite

xiānyǒuhòuhūn

先有后婚

[先有後婚]

to marry after getting pregnant

wèilǎoxiānshuāi

未老先衰

[未老先衰]

to age prematurely

yīmǎdāngxiān

一马当先

[一馬當先]

(idiom) to take the lead

nüshìyōuxiān

女士优先

[女士優先]

Ladies first!

xiāndìyízhào

先帝遗诏

[先帝遺詔]

posthumous edict of a former emperor
Liu Bei's 劉備／刘备 ( Liú Bèi) edict to posterity

shìxiāntōngzhī

事先通知

[事先通知]

preliminary notification
to announce in advance

Aìluóxiānkē

爱罗先珂

[愛羅先珂]

Vasili Eroshenko (1890-1952), Russian writer and poet who wrote in Esperanto and Japanese

zhēngxiānkǒnghòu

争先恐后

[爭先恐後]

striving to be first and fearing to be last (idiom); outdoing one another

xiānwángzhīzhèng

先王之政

[先王之政]

the rule of former kings

yáoyáo-lǐngxiān

遥遥领先

[遙遙領先]

a long way in front; to lead by a wide margin

xiānzhīxiānjué

先知先觉

[先知先覺]

having foresight
a person of foresight

jiézúxiāndēng

捷足先登

[捷足先登]

the quick-footed climb up first (idiom)
the early bird catches the worm
first come, first served

Dàxiānzhīshū

大先知书

[大先知書]

the biblical books of the prophets

bènniǎoxiānfēi

笨鸟先飞

[笨鳥先飛]

lit. the clumsy bird flies early (idiom); fig. to work hard to compensate for one's limited abilities

zhàngfángxiānsheng

账房先生

[賬房先生]

bookkeeper (old)

yǒuyuēzàixiān

有约在先

[有約在先]

to have a prior engagement

xiānyàngàilü

先验概率

[先驗概率]

(math.) prior probability

gǎnwéirénxiān

敢为人先

[敢為人先]

to dare to be first
to pioneer (idiom)

xiāntiānyǔhòutiān

先天与后天

[先天與後天]

nature versus nurture

yōuxiānchénggòuquán

优先承购权

[優先承購權]

prior purchase right
right of first refusal (ROFR)
preemptive right to purchase

xiāntiānxìngquēxiàn

先天性缺陷

[先天性缺陷]

birth defect

chánjiā'èrxiānsheng

缠夹二先生

[纏夾二先生]

annoying muddle-headed person who gabbles unintelligibly

xiānxiàshǒuwéiqiáng

先下手为强

[先下手為強]

(idiom) strike first to gain the upper hand

bùshǒuxiānshǐyòng

不首先使用

[不首先使用]

no first use (policy for nuclear weapons)
NFU

èrénxiāngàozhuàng

恶人先告状

[惡人先告狀]

the guilty party files the suit
the thief cries thief

Shàonián Xiānfēngduì

少年先锋队

[少年先鋒隊]

Young Pioneers of China (primary school league, a preparation for Communist Youth League)
abbr. to 少先隊／少先队

bǎishànxiàowéixiān

百善孝为先

[百善孝為先]

of all virtues filial piety is most important (idiom)

ànshíjiānxiānhòu

按时间先后

[按時間先後]

chronological

yōuxiānrèngǔquán

优先认股权

[優先認股權]

preemptive right (in share issue)

Guójì Xiānqū Lùntán Bào

国际先驱论坛报

[國際先驅論壇報]

International Herald Tribune

jìnshuǐlóutáixiāndéyuè

近水楼台先得月

[近水樓臺先得月]

the pavilion closest to the water enjoys moonlight first (idiom)
to benefit from intimacy with an influential person

chūnjiāngshuǐnuǎnyāxiānzhī

春江水暖鸭先知

[春江水暖鴨先知]

lit. the duck is the first to know if the spring water is warm (idiom)
fig. an expert in the field knows which way the wind blows

chūtóudechuánzixiānlàn

出头的椽子先烂

[出頭的椽子先爛]

lit. rafters that jut out rot first (idiom)
fig. anyone who makes himself conspicuous will be targeted for attack

chūshīwèijiéshēnxiānsǐ

出师未捷身先死

[出師未捷身先死]

"he failed to complete his quest before death" (line from the poem "The Premier of Shu" 蜀相 ( Shǔxiàng) by Du Fu 杜甫 ( Dù Fǔ))

xiāntiānbùzú,hòutiānshītiáo

先天不足，后天失调

[先天不足，後天失調]

to be born with a weak constitution and suffer from ill health during one's life
(fig.) to be problematic from the start, and get even worse over time

bīngmǎwèidòng,liángcǎoxiānxíng

兵马未动，粮草先行

[兵馬未動，糧草先行]

before the troops move, fodder and provisions go first (idiom); logistics comes before military maneuvers
an army marches on its stomach

yìcúnbǐxiān,huàjìnyìzài

意存笔先，画尽意在

[意存筆先，畫盡意在]

the idea is present before the first stroke of the brush, when the last stroke is placed the idea shines through

yùshànqíshì,bìxiānlìqíqì

欲善其事，必先利其器

[欲善其事，必先利其器]

To do a good job, an artisan needs the best tools (idiom). Good tools are prerequisite to the successful execution of a job

gōngyùshànqíshì,bìxiānlìqíqì

工欲善其事，必先利其器

[工欲善其事，必先利其器]

To do a good job, an artisan needs the best tools (idiom). Good tools are prerequisite to the successful execution of a job

xiāntiānxiàzhīyōu'éryōu,hòutiānxiàzhīlè'érlè

先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐

[先天下之憂而憂，後天下之樂而樂]

to be the first to worry about affairs of state, and the last to enjoy oneself (quotation from the essay On Yueyang Tower 岳陽樓記／岳阳楼记 ( Yuèyánglóujì) by Song writer Fan Zhongyan 范仲淹 ( Fàn Zhòngyān)