先是

xiānshì

adverb #12,423

Meanings

HSK 6

先是下了雨，然后又刮起了大风。

Xiānshì xià le yǔ, ránhòu yòu guā qǐ le dàfēng.

First it rained, then a strong wind blew.

HSK 7-9

他先是愣了一下，然后笑了起来。

Tā xiānshì lèng le yīxià, ránhòu xiào le qǐlái.

He was stunned for a moment at first, then started laughing.

grammar

先是 is typically paired with 然后 (then) or 接着 (next) to narrate a sequence of events. It is more literary than simply using 先 alone.

先 xiān

是 shì