Definitions
(noun)
head; first
(adjective)
chief; principal
(classifier)
classifier for songs, poems
Etymology
Pictograph of a head (hair above a face with an eye).
About
The character 首 originated as a pictograph depicting a head with prominent hair or a topknot above an eye. In its modern structure, both traditional and simplified forms are identical, consisting of two main components: the top part derives from a representation of hair, while the lower portion 目 represents an eye. Its primary meaning has always been "head", from which it extended to signify "leader" or "first", as in the position of a chief or the beginning of something. This semantic extension from the physical head to concepts of precedence and leadership is reflected in words such as 元首 (head of state) and 首先 (first of all).
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
北京是中国的首都。
首先你要认真学习。
这是我首次来北京。
这是他的首部小说。
单词的首字母要大写。
英国的首相访问了法国。
这部剧的首演非常成功。
买房的首付需要很多钱。