► 成句
先 [さき] [先を越す] meaning: lead rank: 2
☆ 彼等は新兵器の開発で敵に先を越されることを恐れている ⇨ They are afraid that the enemies could develop the new weapons before them
先 [さき] [目と鼻の先] meaning: close rank: 4
☆ 事件は警視庁の目と鼻の先で起こった ⇨ The incident happened right in front of the eyes and nose of the police headquarters
► 名詞
先 [さき] meaning: ahead rank: 1
☆ この先は全て未舗装路だ ⇨ From this point on, they are all unpaved road
☆ この先十分位行った所にコンビニがある ⇨ You keep going ahead for about 10 minutes and there is a convenient store
☆ 先を急ぐ余りに今が疎かになった ⇨ They were in too much of a hurry to move ahead that they failed to take care of the present
☆ 暗くて先がよく見えない ⇨ It is too dark I cannot see ahead
先 [さき] meaning: before rank: 1
☆ 彼が先に来た ⇨ He came before me. He was already here when I arrived
☆ 彼に先に知らせておくべきだ ⇨ We should let him know beforehand
☆ 彼は誰よりも先にそのことに気がついた ⇨ He realized that before anybody
先 [さき] [御先] [coll] [polite] meaning: before rank: 1
☆ 御先に失礼します (おさき) ⇨ Allow me to leave before you do
先 [さき] meaning: destination rank: 1
☆ 彼女は引っ越した先で新しい仕事を始めた ⇨ She started a new job at the place she had moved to
☆ 食べ物は行った先で買えば良い ⇨ We can buy food at the destination
先 [さき] meaning: first rank: 1
☆ ガス漏れを止めるのが先だ ⇨ We need to stop the gas leak first
☆ これを先にやろう ⇨ Let’s do this first
☆ 先に帰らせてもらいます ⇨ Allow me to leave first, ahead of you
☆ 支払いが先だ ⇨ You have to pay first
先 [さき] [御先] [coll] [polite] meaning: first rank: 1
☆ 御先にどうぞ (おさき) ⇨ You go first, ahead
先 [さき] [coll] meaning: future rank: 1
☆ この先どうなるかはっきりしない ⇨ It is not clear what is going to happen from now on
☆ 今は先の事を考える余裕が無い ⇨ I don’t have the room to think about the future right now
☆ 先が楽しみな選手 ⇨ A player with a promising future
先 [さき] meaning: tip rank: 1
☆ 指の先に棘が刺さった ⇨ A thorn got stuck at the tip of my finger
先 [(1)さき] meaning: past rank: 3
☆ 社会党は先の選挙で大敗した ⇨ The socialist party suffered a major defeat in the recent election (☛ A recent past)
More examples:
- お先に失敬させて頂きます ⇨ Please allow me to leave before you do
- 用件を先に言って下さい ⇨ Please first tell me exactly what you need
- 人生一寸先は闇だ ⇨ In life, one inch ahead is darkness. You never know what can happen
- あいつが先に俺を侮辱したんだ。だったら殴ってもいいのかよ？ ⇨ He insulted me first. Does that make it OK for you to punch him?
- 先週彼女に会った ⇨ I saw her last week
- お先に失礼させて頂きます ⇨ Please allow me to leave before you
- 彼は先頭を切って走っている ⇨ He is running at the top position
- 先程の発表に幾つか補足したい点が有ります ⇨ I’d like to add several points to the previous announcement
- 行く先は何処ですか？ ⇨ Where are we going?
- フォードは世界に先駆けて車を量産した ⇨ Ford was the first in the world to mass-produce cars
- 費用がどのくらいになるか先ず見当を付けたい ⇨ First I want to get the idea of how much it will cost
- この先で道が二つに分かれている ⇨ The road forks into two up ahead
- 彼等はワールドシリーズに先勝した ⇨ They won the first game of World Series
- 彼女は手先が器用だ ⇨ She is very good at handiwork
- 彼は先頭の真後ろにつけている ⇨ He is running right behind the leader