首
head; chief; first (occasion, thing etc)
Closest English meanings
head·first·chief
The Calligrapher — Mǐ Fú 米芾
Song eccentric genius of dynamic, 'flying' running script.
Song calligrapher (1051–1107), master of running script — Song eccentric genius ('crazy Zhang, idiot Mi') whose running script alternates discipline with glee. Song dynasty
Cultural Story
首 (shǒu) is a pictograph of a human head, with the skull above and the hair or features below, drawn clearly in oracle bone script. 《説文解字》 treats it as the beginning and leader, the body’s commanding top.
Common words & phrases
- 首先 first · firstly
- 首都 capital
- 首领 leader · chief
- 首要 primary · chief
- 首长 chief · senior officer
- 回首 turn one's head · look back
Read the story behind the character
首 leads in rank and order. We say 首先 (first), name a nation’s 首都 (capital), follow a 首领 (leader), weigh a 首要 (primary) issue, salute a 首长 (senior officer), and 回首 (look back) on the past.
Own this character
Purchase delivers the original SVG of this glyph, brushed by Mǐ Fú 米芾, ready to place on skin, paper, or screen.