Japanese Conversation · Level 36
90 words
Japanese word
真っ先
Pronunciation
Romajimassaki
Meaning
- nounfirst
Example
彼は真っ先に手を挙げます。kare wa ma ssaki ni te o a ge ma su
He raises his hand first.
More examples
その話を聞いて、私は真っ先に彼の名前を思い出しました。so no hanashi o ki i te watashi wa ma ssaki ni kare no na mae o omo i da shi ma shi ta
When I heard that story, his name was the first thing I remembered.
Core concept
Places a person or action at the very front of a sequence, so it comes before all others.
Common phrases
真っ先に思い浮かぶma ssaki ni omo i u ka bu
come to mind first
Similar words
最初saisho: The earliest point in a series of events or actions.
先頭sentō: The position at the front of a line or group.
第一daiichi: The highest priority or the foremost position among several things.
Definition in Japanese
順序や行動などが、他のものよりいちばん先であること。jun jo ya kō dō na do ga ta no mo no yo ri i chi ba n saki de a ru ko to
Word origin
The compound 真っ先 (massaki) places the emphatic prefix 真っ (mass, "very"), from 真 (ma, "true"), before 先 (saki, "front"), giving the sense of the very front.
Usage tips
- 真っ先に (massaki ni) can introduce the first person or thing that comes to mind, as in saying that someone is the first person considered in a situation.
Other meanings
- forefrontnoun
Opposites
- 最後saigolastnoun