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一马当先 (yì mǎ dāng xiān) — to take the lead; to be at the forefront; to be the first to act

Definition

A chengyu meaning 'to gallop at the front of the pack' — i.e. to take the lead, act first, and set the example. Often used to praise someone who steps up boldly in work, sport, or a crisis.

idiom
to take the leadto be at the forefrontto be the first to act

Examples

  • ，一马当先，。
    Zài zhè cì xiàng mù zhōng, tā yì mǎ dāng xiān, dài lǐng tuán duì wán chéng le rèn wu.
    In this project, he took the lead and guided the team to complete the task.
  • ，一马当先，。
    Yù dào kùn nan shí, tā zǒng shì yì mǎ dāng xiān, cóng bú tuì suō.
    When facing difficulties, he always takes the lead and never backs down.
  • ，一马当先，。
    Zài bǐ sài zhōng, tā yì mǎ dāng xiān, dì yī gè chōng guò le zhōng diǎn.
    In the race, he took the lead and was the first to cross the finish line.

Origin

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 馬; 马 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 馬 shows a horse with its head facing left, a flowing mane, and two legs standing vertically.

Open 马 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 當; 当 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng當dāng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 當 combines 田 (field) with 尚; the evidence describes fields facing each other.

Open 当 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

先 combines 止 (foot) and 儿 (person) to show someone moving forward.

Open 先 →
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Idioms & Set Phrases

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