先入为主 — “First in, takes precedence; preconceived notions dominate”
先入为主 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be prejudiced by a preconceived idea or initial impression, making it difficult to accept different opinions later; to let a first impression dominate one's judgment”. Literally, “First in, takes precedence; preconceived notions dominate”.
先入为主 Pronunciation and Pinyin
先入为主 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 先入为主
Origin and Story of 先入为主
During the Han Dynasty, Emperor Ai greatly favored Dong Xian, Sun Pang, and Xi Fugong, granting them marquis titles.
Prime Minister Wang Jia advised the emperor against this, warning that such actions could lead to future calamities.
Xi Fugong, concerned about Dong Xian's ever-increasing power, then urged Emperor Ai to launch a military campaign against the Xiongnu.
Wang Jia once more intervened, cautioning the emperor not to be prejudiced by Xi Fugong's initial suggestion, emphasizing that peaceful coexistence should always be the priority.
Eventually, Xi Fugong's schemes were exposed, leading to his downfall and the ruin of his entire family.
Idioms Related to 先入为主
Synonyms of 先入为主
Antonyms of 先入为主
More idioms starting with 先
- xiān先xià下shǒu手wéi为qiáng强strike first to gain the upper hand
- xiān先xià下shǒu手wéi为qiáng强，，hòu后xià下shǒu手zāo遭yāng殃First to act gains advantage
- xiān先wèi为zhī之róng容Introduce or publicize someone beforehand
- xiān先shì事lǜ虑shì事plan and think ahead
- xiān先rén人hòu后jǐ己put others before oneself
- xiān先rén人duó夺rén人Preemptively win over others
- xiān先gōng公hòu后sī私prioritize public over private interest
- xiān先wù务zhī之jí急most urgent task
- xiān先jí即zhì制rén人gain the initiative and control the situation
- xiān先fā发zhì制rén人Strike first to gain control
- xiān先hào号hòu后qìng庆weep first, then rejoice
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Open the tool →Questions about 先入为主
What does 先入为主 mean?
先入为主 (xiān rù wéi zhǔ) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be prejudiced by a preconceived idea or initial impression, making it difficult to accept different opinions later; to let a first impression dominate one's judgment”.
How do you pronounce 先入为主?
先入为主 is pronounced xiān rù wéi zhǔ in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 先入为主 literally mean?
Literally, 先入为主 means “First in, takes precedence; preconceived notions dominate”. It is used to mean “to be prejudiced by a preconceived idea or initial impression, making it difficult to accept different opinions later; to let a first impression dominate one's judgment”.
Where does 先入为主 come from?
先入为主 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 先入为主?
指先听进去的话或先获得的印象往往在头脑中占有主导地位，以后再遇到不同的意见时，就不容易接受。