首先 (shǒu xiān) — first in Mandarin
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#882 most common word · HSK 4 · CEFR B1
Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Tone breakdown
首先 is pronounced shǒu xiān. Tap any syllable’s row to hear the whole word.
In a sentence
shǒu xiān, wǒ xiǎng shuō.
First, I want to speak.
Hear it, then say it right
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
What does 首先 mean?+
首先 (shǒu xiān) means "first" in Mandarin Chinese.
How do you pronounce 首先?+
首先 is pronounced shǒu xiān. It uses the tone 3 (rising/dipping), then the tone 1 (high flat). Tap the character on this page to hear native audio.
How common is 首先 in Mandarin?+
首先 is the #882 most frequent word in spoken Mandarin, so it is one of the first words worth learning.
Where 首先 fits
Every HSK 4 word with tone-coloured pinyin and audio.
Words at a similar frequency
Master the tones first
What each tone sounds like and why it matters.
Why some tones change in connected speech.
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Browse more on the Mandarin vocabulary hub, or read how to learn Mandarin tones.