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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing 'first' with 首 (shǒu)

    Sequence & Order

    Structure

    首 + Measure Word/Noun

    Explanation

    首 (shǒu) means "first" or "initial" when used as a prefix or adverb. It is a formal and concise alternative to 第一 and commonly appears in written Chinese and news language. Examples include 首次 (first time) and 首位 (first place/person).

    Examples

    • 这是她首次参加国际比赛就拿了冠军。

      zhè shì tā shǒucì cānjiā guójì bǐsài jiù ná le guànjūn.

      This was her first time participating in an international competition, and she won the championship.

    • 他是首位获得这个奖项的亚洲科学家。

      tā shì shǒu wèi huòdé zhège jiǎngxiàng de yàzhōu kēxuéjiā.

      He is the first Asian scientist to receive this award.

    • 公司首批产品将于下月正式上市。

      gōngsī shǒu pī chǎnpǐn jiāng yú xià yuè zhèngshì shàngshì.

      The company's first batch of products will officially launch next month.

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    Expressing 'first' with 首 (shǒu) | Chinese Grammar