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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing 'firstly' with 首先 (shǒuxiān)

    Listing & Enumeration
    Sequence & Order

    Structure

    首先 + Clause

    Explanation

    The adverb 首先 (shǒuxiān) means 'firstly,' 'first of all,' or 'in the first place,' used to introduce the first point in a series of arguments or steps. It is placed at the beginning of a sentence or clause and is often followed by 其次 (secondly) or 然后 (then). It is common in both spoken and written Chinese.

    Examples

    • 首先，我想感谢大家的支持。

      shǒuxiān, wǒ xiǎng gǎnxiè dàjiā de zhīchí.

      First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for their support.

    • 做这道菜首先要准备好所有材料。

      zuò zhè dào cài shǒuxiān yào zhǔnbèi hǎo suǒyǒu cáiliào.

      To make this dish, first prepare all the ingredients.

    • 首先我们需要弄清楚问题出在哪里。

      shǒuxiān wǒmen xūyào nòng qīngchu wèntí chū zài nǎlǐ.

      First, we need to figure out where the problem lies.

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    Expressing 'firstly' with 首先 (shǒuxiān) | Chinese Grammar