事先

• Pinyin: shì xiān
• Hanzi breakdown: 事 = originally a pictograph of a hand holding a writing instrument, meaning affair; 先 = 止 (foot) + 儿 (person), meaning to go before

Meaning

In advance; beforehand; prior to an event.

An adverb indicating that something is done before a particular event or time. Emphasises preparation or prior action. Often used with verbs like 准备, 通知, 了解, and 安排.

Examples

1. 如果你要来，请事先告诉我。 If you're coming, please let me know in advance.
2. 他事先做了很多准备工作。 He did a lot of preparation work beforehand.
3. 事先了解一下当地的天气很有必要。 It's very necessary to find out about the local weather in advance.

Usage Guide

Context: planning, business, everyday

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 事先预约可以节省很多时间。(Making a reservation in advance can save a lot of time.)
• 我们事先没有想到会出这样的问题。(We didn't anticipate this kind of problem beforehand.)

Don't Say

• 我事先正在准备。(Don't combine 事先 with 正在 — 事先 refers to a completed prior action, not an ongoing one.)

Origin & History

Compound of 事 (matter, event) and 先 (before, first), literally 'before the matter.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal