先行|せんこうsenkou[0]heiban (flat)

JLPT N1approx.Common
Definitions
  1. suru verb, intransitive verb, no-adjectivegoing ahead; going first
  2. suru verb, intransitive verb, no-adjectivepreceding; coming before; being ahead (e.g. of the times); occurring first; happening prior
    稲光いなびかりは雷かみなりの音おとに先行せんこうする。↗
    The flash of lightning precedes the sound of thunder.
  3. noun, suru verb, intransitive verb, sportsscoring first; getting off to a lead
  4. noun, horse racingstalker
Conjugation
Dictionary form先行する(せんこうする)
Polite (masu)先行します(せんこうします)
Negative (nai)先行しない(せんこうしない)
polite (masen)先行しません(せんこうしません)
classical zu / nu先行せず・先行せぬ(せんこうせず・せんこうせぬ)
Past (ta)先行した(せんこうした)
polite (mashita)先行しました(せんこうしました)
Past negative (nakatta)先行しなかった(せんこうしなかった)
polite (masen deshita)先行しませんでした(せんこうしませんでした)
Te form先行して(せんこうして)
Potential先行できる(せんこうできる)
Passive先行される(せんこうされる)
Causative先行させる(せんこうさせる)
Causative passive先行させられる(せんこうさせられる)
Conditional (ba)先行すれば(せんこうすれば)
tara先行したら(せんこうしたら)
Volitional先行しよう(せんこうしよう)
polite (mashou)先行しましょう(せんこうしましょう)
Imperative先行しろ(せんこうしろ)

Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.

Synonyms & antonyms
  • Synonym先立つさきだつWrittenWritten/formal prose; leans toward coming before in order. Also covers dying before someone, as in 「先立つ不孝」.
  • Synonym先んじるさきんじるWrittenWritten/formal prose; leans toward racing ahead of others, forestalling them, as in 「他社に先んじる」.
  • Synonym先んずるさきんずるWrittenWritten/formal prose; the older, literary form of 「先んじる」 with the same meaning, but rarely used in modern Japanese.
  • Relatedお先おさきNeutralColloquial; a polite set phrase for leaving before others, as in 「お先に失礼します」. Leans toward everyday greetings.
  • Antonym後続こうぞくWrittenWritten/formal prose; the opposite of 「先行」, meaning what follows behind, as in 「後続車両」.

Use 「先行」 for going ahead or doing something in advance, as in 「先行販売」「先行投資」. For getting the jump on others say 「先んじる」; for simply coming before in order, 「先立つ」; the opposite is 「後続」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese definitions
  1. 先さきに行いくこと。
  2. 先さきに行おこなわれること。
  3. スポーツなどで相手あいてより先さきに点てんをあげてリードすること。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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