先人

xiānrén

noun #25,637

Meanings

1 ancestors
2 forefathers
3 one's late father (formal)

Characters

first; earlier; late (deceased)

Examples

我们要铭记先人的教诲。

Wǒmen yào míngjì xiānrén de jiàohuì.

We must keep in mind the teachings of our ancestors.

清明节是祭奠先人的传统节日。

Qīngmíng jié shì jìdiàn xiānrén de chuántǒng jiérì.

Qingming Festival is a traditional holiday for commemorating one's ancestors.

先人的智慧至今仍有价值。

Xiānrén de zhìhuì zhìjīn réng yǒu jiàzhí.

The wisdom of our forefathers still holds value today.

Tips

usage

先人 can mean ancestors in general or specifically one's late father in classical/formal usage. In everyday modern Chinese, 祖先 is more common for ancestors.

Stroke Order

先 xiān

人 rén