Before
Meanings
Before, Ahead, Previous, Future, Precedence
On'yomi
せん
Chinese-derived readings, typically used in compounds.
Kun'yomi
さき、 ま.ず
Native Japanese readings, typically used as standalone words.
Stroke order
先 is written in 6 strokes. Diagram from KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).
About this kanji
先 (Before) is taught on WaniKani at level 4 and appears in the JLPT N5 kanji set. It is taught in Japanese elementary school grade 1 as part of the official Joyo kanji list. It ranks #173 in modern newspaper-frequency lists. It is written with 6 strokes.
Other kanji at WaniKani level 4
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