首
head; chief; first (occasion, thing etc)
Closest English meanings
head·first·chief
The Calligrapher — Gāo Xián 高闲
Tang monk calligrapher of cursive script, author of the Thousand-Character Classic.
Tang calligrapher (), master of cursive script — known for 《千字文》残卷. Tang 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
In the modern world
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.
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