先・前・先き|さきsaki[0]heiban (flat)

1. nounpoint; tip; end; nozzle
   鉛筆えんぴつの先さきが丸まるくなった。↗

   The point of the pencil has become dull.
2. nounhead (of a line); front
3. nounfirst; before; ahead (of)
   二人ふたりの男おとこのうち、背せの高たかい方ほうが先さきに出でていった。↗

   The taller of the two men went out first.
4. noun(the way) ahead; beyond
   この電車でんしゃは中野なかのより先さきは各駅かくえきに停車ていしゃする。↗

   This train stops at every station from Nakano on.
5. no-adjectivefuture
   先さきの事ことなど誰だれにも予想よそうできない。↗

   You never can tell what'll happen in the future.
6. no-adjectiveprevious; prior; former; recent; last
7. noun, noun (suffix)destination; address; place where you do something
   で、電話でんわしてみたらしいんだけど、その電話でんわ先さきの相手あいてってのが問題もんだいだったのよ。↗

   And so it seems she tried phoning but it's who was on the other end of that phone that was the problem.
8. nounrest (e.g. of a story); continuation; remaining part
   それから先さきの話はなしを聞ききたい。↗

   I'd like to know the rest of the story.
9. nounthe other party

• Synonym先端せんたんNeutralThe tip of a long, slender object, and by extension the forefront of technology and the like, as in 「先端技術」.
• Synonym端はしNeutralAn edge or end, stressing the position farthest from the center; 「先」 stresses a tip stretching forward or the space ahead.
• Synonym先っぽさきっぽCasualColloquial for the tip or end of something long and thin, as in 「鉛筆の先っぽ」.
• Synonym端っこはしっこCasualColloquial for an edge or corner, as in 「部屋の端っこ」; has a warm, familiar feel.
• Synonym先っちょさきっちょCasualColloquial for the tip or end; more casual than 「先っぽ」, with a childish ring.
• Related前面ぜんめんWrittenWritten/formal prose. The front side of an object, as in 「建物の前面」; the focus is on the surface itself.
• Related最先端さいせんたんNeutralThe very tip; mostly figurative for the forefront of technology or trends, as in 「最先端の医療」.
• Related先々さきざきNeutralThe future, or everywhere one goes, as in 「先々のことを考える」 and 「行く先々で」.
• Related正面しょうめんNeutralThe front of an object or the direction squarely facing it, as in 「正面玄関」; stresses which way something faces.
• Related目の前めのまえNeutralRight before one's eyes, or imminent, as in 「試験が目の前だ」.
• Related先行きさきゆきNeutralHow things will go from here on; prospects, as in 「景気の先行き」; often used of the economy.
• Related末端まったんNeutralThe end of an object, or the lower level of an organization far from its center, as in 「末端価格」 and 「組織の末端」.
• Related行き先いきさきNeutralA destination or where someone or something is headed, as in 「行き先を告げる」.
• Related外れはずれNeutralThe edge or outskirts of a place, as in 「町外れ」; also a miss or failure, a sense 「先」 does not have.
• Related行く先ゆくさきWrittenA destination or future prospects; synonymous with 「行き先」 but more written/formal in tone.
• Related面前めんぜんWrittenWritten/formal prose for being before someone or in public view, as in 「公衆の面前で」.
• Relatedこの先このさきNeutralThe area beyond this point, or the time from now on, as in 「この先行き止まり」 and 「この先どうなる」.
• Antonym後あとNeutralThe antonym of 「先」: behind in space or later in time.
• Antonym後ろうしろNeutralThe spatial opposite of 「先」: the back or rear of something.
• Antonym尻しりCasualColloquial. Literally the buttocks, but also the tail end, as in 「列の尻」 — the opposite of 「先」 as the head of a line.
• Antonym後方しりえWrittenArchaic written word for the rear, the opposite of 「先」's front; almost never used in modern Japanese.

「先」 covers a pointed tip, the front or what lies ahead, and 'before'. For the tip of something long and thin use 「先端」 (also the cutting edge of technology) or colloquial 「先っぽ」; for an edge farthest from the center use 「端」. For the future use 「この先」 or 「先行き」 (prospects, often economic); for a destination use 「行き先」. 「正面」 and 「前面」 concern fronts and orientation, 「目の前」 what is right before you. Opposites: 「後」/「後ろ」 for behind or after.

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

1. (さき/セン) 一番いちばん前まえ。前まえにくる順じゅん。
2. (さき/セン) 以前いぜん。
3. (さき/セン) ひとつ前まえ。
4. (さき) 前方ぜんぽう。
5. (さき) 前頭ぜんとう。
6. (さき) 先端せんたん。
7. (さき) 未来みらい。