Chinese word

领先

Pronunciation

Pinyinlǐng xiān

Meaning

  • verblead

Example

我们现在领先三分。wǒ men xiàn zài lǐng xiān sān fēn

We now lead by three points.

Illustration for 领先 (lead)

More examples

这家公司在销量上一直领先。zhè jiā gōng sī zài xiāo liàng shàng yì zhí lǐng xiān

This company has always led in sales.

Core concept

A person, team, or process holds the front position and therefore has an advantage over others.

Common phrases

  • 一开始就领先yì kāi shǐ jiù lǐng xiān

    lead from the start

  • 领先对手lǐng xiān duì shǒu

    lead one's opponent

Similar words

超过chāo guò: To go beyond another person or level in amount, degree, or achievement.
赶上gǎn shàng: To reach the same position or level as another person or standard.

Definition in Chinese

取得比别人更高的位置或分数，处于前面并占据优势的动作或状态。qǔ dé bǐ bié rén gèng gāo de wèi zhì huò fēn shù chǔ yú qián miàn bìng zhàn jù yōu shì de dòng zuò huò zhuàng tài

Word origin

领 (lǐng, "lead") + 先 (xiān, "first") combines the idea of guiding from the front with being first, then extends to a leading position in competition.

Usage tips

  • The word commonly describes a current advantage in scores, rankings, or progress, so it presents leadership as a measurable situation rather than as a general ability to guide others.

Other meanings

  • advantagenoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word