先 — previous, ahead, before
さき
先
previous
さき
U+5148
Unicode hex codepoint — a unique identifier for this character in the Unicode standard.
Freq #173
Frequency rank among the ~2,500 most common kanji in Japanese newspapers. Lower number = more common.
Heisig #248
Index in James Heisig's "Remembering the Kanji" — a popular textbook that teaches kanji through mnemonics and stories.
Remember 先
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Meanings
- previous
- ahead
- before
- tip
Readings
- On'yomi
- せん sen
- Kun'yomi
- さき saki ま ma
word
さき ・ざき saki Kun'yomi Kun'yomi (訓読み) — the native Japanese reading of this kanji. Used when the kanji appears alone or with okurigana (trailing hiragana).
せん sen On'yomi On'yomi (音読み) — the Sino-Japanese reading, derived from Chinese pronunciation. Most commonly used in compound words (jukugo).
ま ma Kun'yomi Kun'yomi (訓読み) — the native Japanese reading of this kanji. Used when the kanji appears alone or with okurigana (trailing hiragana).
Words by frequency and grade
73 wordsEach dot is a word containing 先: further left is more common, higher up needs a later school grade (the grade of its hardest kanji). Click a dot to open the word.
S = secondary school · 34 words have no frequency rank; they sit in the Unranked column.
Appears in idioms
Components
Composed of
Used as component in (1)
Compound ideograph (会意). 儿 (person's legs, walking) below a component suggesting the front. A person stepping ahead.