先期 (xiān jī) — (attributive) earlier, advance, preliminary

Definition

Used only as an attributive modifier before a noun to mean 'earlier, advance' — typically in formal or technical contexts like planning, investment, or project phases (vs. 后期 'later phase').

adjective
(attributive) earlieradvancepreliminary
Easily confused

Examples

  • 先期。
    Gōng sī zuò le xiān jī de shì chǎng diào yán.
    The company conducted advance market research.
  • 先期。
    xiān jī Tóu rù de zī jīn yǐ jīng dào wèi.
    The funds invested in advance have already arrived.
  • 先期。
    Zhè ge xiàng mù fēn wéi xiān jī hé hòu qī liǎng gè jiē duàn.
    This project is divided into two stages: the earlier phase and the later phase.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

先xiānearlier
期qīperiod

先 (earlier) with 期 (time) gives the sense of earlier or in advance.

Characters in this word

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 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
日日rì
Sound part声符shēngfú
其
其qí期qī
Same sound today

The original form paired 其 for its sound with 日 (sun). A related form changed that sun to 月, and this later developed into 期.

Open 期 →

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