优先

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Character Breakdown

Usage of 优先 (yōu xiān)

优先 means "to have priority" or "to prioritize". It is commonly used when deciding the order of importance or urgency among tasks, rights, or people.

Common contexts

  • Traffic and emergency situations: e.g., ambulances have 优先 on the road.
  • Workplace decisions: e.g., 优先考虑 internal promotions or candidates.
  • Task management: e.g., 优先完成 urgent reports or assignments.

Collocations and patterns

  • 优先考虑 (prioritize considering): used when deciding what to consider first.
  • 优先 (priority right): refers to the right to be served or acted upon first.
  • 优先完成 (prioritize finishing): used to instruct someone to complete something first.

Nuances

Using 优先 implies a clear ranking or preference, often based on urgency, importance, or fairness. It is more formal and explicit than just saying "" (first). Avoid confusing 优先 with ; 优先 emphasizes priority rather than simple sequence.

Register

优先 is neutral to formal and widely used in official, business, and everyday contexts when discussing priorities.

Example Sentences

In emergencies, ambulances should have priority on the road.

The company decided to give priority to promotion opportunities for internal

Please prioritize finishing this report because it is urgent.