Translation guide
How to express that one thing comes before another in importance, order, or time.
Expressing that something is more important and should be dealt with first.
The most common and versatile word for 'priority' or 'precedence'. Used in many contexts from daily life to formal settings.
安全が最優先です。
Safety takes top priority.
この仕事は他の何よりも優先する。
This task takes precedence over everything else.
Refers to the order of priority, often used when ranking multiple items.
タスクの優先順位を決めてください。
Please decide the order of priority for the tasks.
The verb form meaning 'to prioritize' or 'to give precedence'.
緊急の案件を優先します。
We prioritize urgent matters.
Indicating that one thing comes before another in a sequence, list, or procedure.
Means 'preceding' or 'going before'. Often used in formal or technical contexts like 'preceding research' or 'prior event'.
先行研究を参照してください。
Please refer to the preceding research.
先行きが不透明だ。
The future is uncertain. (Note: '先行き' means 'the future' or 'outlook', derived from '先行'.)
A verb meaning 'to come before' or 'to precede'. Slightly formal/literary.
A formal pattern meaning 'prior to' or 'before'. Used in announcements and written instructions.
会議に先立って、資料を配布します。
Prior to the meeting, we will distribute the materials.
Expressing a right of way, seniority, or established order in formal systems.
A legal term meaning 'lien' or 'priority right'. Very specific to law.
この債権には先取特権がある。
This claim has a priority right.
Means 'priority right' or 'preferential right'. Used in contexts like patent applications or traffic.
Refers to a senior person (in school, work, etc.). Implies precedence in experience and often informal authority.
Simply stating that something happened earlier.
As above, but used for temporal precedence. '先行する' means 'to precede in time'.
この現象は理論に先行する。
This phenomenon precedes the theory.
A common adverb meaning 'before' or 'earlier'. Very natural in conversation.
先に行ってて。
Go on ahead.
優先 (priority) is about importance and order of handling, while 先行 (preceding) is about temporal or sequential order. Use 優先 for 'this takes precedence over that' in decision-making, and 先行 for 'this comes before that' in a timeline or list.
Many words with 先 (saki/sen) relate to 'before', but they are not interchangeable. 先に is a simple adverb, while 先立つ is formal and often part of set phrases. Using the wrong one can sound unnatural.
出発に先立って、注意事項を説明します。
Prior to departure, I will explain the precautions.
特許の優先権を主張する。
Claim the priority right of the patent.
先輩の意見を尊重する。
Respect the opinion of one's senior.
先に言ってよ。
You should have said so earlier.