预先 (yù xiān) — beforehand; in advance | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

预先 (yùxiān) is a written adverb meaning 'in advance / beforehand,' more formal than 提前 or 事先. Unlike 先, it modifies the verb directly and stresses advance preparation.

adverb

beforehandin advance

Easily confused

预告yù gàolook-alike(verb) to forecast, to predict, to announce in advance

Examples

预先，。
Rú guǒ nǐ yù xiān zhī dào, jiù yīng gāi gào sù wǒ men.
If you know in advance, you should tell us.
预先。
Tā men yù xiān bǎ piào mǎi hǎo le.
They bought the tickets in advance.
预先。
Zhè jiàn shì xū yào yù xiān ān pái.
This matter needs to be arranged in advance.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

预yùbefore

The 预 meaning before and 先 meaning first both point to beforehand.

Characters in this word

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 預; 预 is its simplified writing.

予頁預

Meaning part形符xíngfú

頁頁yè

Sound part声符shēngfú

予

予yǔ預yù

Same sound today

The traditional form 預 combines 予 for the sound and 頁 for the meaning; the simplified 预 is a later shorthand.

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

止止zhǐfoot
儿儿érperson

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

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 HSK 2.0 Level 6 Time (Abstract)

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.