Japanese word

先手

Pronunciation

Romajisente

Meaning

  • nouninitiative

Example

問題が起きる前に、彼女は先手を取ります。mon dai ga o ki ru mae ni kano jo wa sen te o to ri ma su

She takes the initiative before a problem occurs.

Illustration for 先手 (initiative)

More examples

相手に先手を取られないように、十分に準備しておきます。ai te ni sen te o to ra re na i yō ni jū bun ni jun bi shi te o ki ma su

We prepare carefully so that the other side does not take the initiative.

Core concept

Centers on taking the first effective action so that the other side must react rather than lead.

Common phrases

  • 先手を打つsen te o u tsu

    take preemptive action

  • 先手を取るsen te o to ru

    take the initiative

  • 先手を許すsen te o yuru su

    give the other side the initiative

Similar words

主導権shudōken: The power to lead an interaction and make the other side respond.
イニシアチブinishiachibu: The advantage of acting first and directing how an interaction develops.
機先kisen: The opportunity to act before the other side and gain a strategic advantage.

Definition in Japanese

相手に先んじて行動し、物事の進み方を自分に有利にすること。また、その最初の行動や側。ai te ni saki n ji te kō dō shi mono goto no susu mi kata o ji bun ni yū ri ni su ru ko to ma ta so no sai sho no kō dō ya gawa

Word origin

The compound 先手 (sente) joins 先 (sen, "ahead") with 手 (te, "hand"), describing the hand or move that comes first.

Usage tips

  • The Go term sente is used in English as a Japanese loanword for maintaining the initiative through a move that gives the opponent little choice but to respond.

Other meanings

  • first movenoun
  • first playernoun

Opposites

  • 後手gotesecond movenoun

Word lists with this word