先 — Previous, Ahead
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Start 7-Day Free Trial →Common Japanese Words with 先 (Previous, Ahead)
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Someone who has lived life (生) ahead (先) of you has the wisdom to be your teacher.
The previous (先) moon (月) (month) is simply last month.
The thing that comes ahead (先) of everything else is what you do first.
A previous (先) day/sun (日) refers to the other day.
Frequently Asked Questions About 先 (Previous, Ahead)
What is the best kanji mnemonic for 先 (Previous, Ahead)?
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The Shibashi Japanese kanji mnemonic for 先 ("Previous, Ahead", read as せん) is: The magnetic (ま) samurai run ahead of everyone, sending (せん) his previous life bye-bye... Using visual kanji mnemonics that combine the character's radicals, meaning, and reading into a single illustrated scene makes 先 effortless to recall.
What does the kanji 先 mean and how is it read in Japanese?
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The Japanese kanji 先 means "Previous, Ahead". Its primary reading is せん (On'yomi: せん; Kun'yomi: ま). Our Japanese kanji mnemonics tie the reading directly into the visual story so you remember both the meaning and pronunciation together.
What are common Japanese words and compounds with 先?
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Essential Japanese vocabulary words containing 先 include: 先生 (せんせい - teacher, doctor), 先月 (せんげつ - last month), 先ず (まず - first (of all), to start with, about, almost, hardly (with neg. verb)), 先日 (せんじつ - the other day, a few days ago).
How do Japanese kanji mnemonics help you remember 先 (Previous, Ahead) faster?
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Traditional rote stroke repetition fades quickly. Shibashi's Japanese kanji mnemonics turn 先 (Previous, Ahead) and its shared visual radical family into memorable characters and objects, paired with smart Spaced Repetition (SRS) and native audio so the memory sticks permanently.