先…再
Pattern
先 + action, 再 + action
Key words
Core idea
先…再 orders two actions. 先 marks what happens first. 再 marks what happens after that.
This pattern is useful for instructions, plans, and routines.
Usage boundary
Use it when the order matters. If two things simply both happen, a sequence marker may not be needed.
Examples
我先吃饭，再看书。
Wǒ xiān chīfàn, zài kàn shū.
I will eat first, then read.
你先写名字，再给老师。
Nǐ xiān xiě míngzi, zài gěi lǎoshī.
Write your name first, then give it to the teacher.
我们先去图书馆，再去咖啡店。
Wǒmen xiān qù túshūguǎn, zài qù kāfēidiàn.
We will go to the library first, then go to the coffee shop.
Common mistakes
Avoid
我再吃饭，先看书。
Use
我先吃饭，再看书。
先 marks the first action; 再 marks the later action.
Seen in stories
The Calendar Invite
八个人站在门口，谁也不知道谁先进去。
Eight people stand at the door, and nobody knows who should go in first.
The Calendar Invite
经理说：“我们先确认是谁发的邀请，再决定怎么办。”
The manager says, “Let’s first confirm who sent the invitation, then decide what to do.”
The Calendar Invite
机器人本来应该先找空房间，再分别安排三个会议。
The bot was supposed to find empty rooms first, then arrange three meetings separately.
The Calendar Invite
半小时后，三个问题都解决了，经理决定先感谢机器人，再修好它。
Half an hour later, all three problems are solved, and the manager decides to thank the bot first, then fix it.
First the Stamp, Then the Sea
他们先请灯塔管理员画天空，再请公车司机画道路。
They first ask the lighthouse keeper to draw the sky, then ask the bus driver to draw the road.
Show 4 more story examples
First the Stamp, Then the Sea
接着，他们先去市场盖章，再到码头找船长签名。
Next, they first go to the market for a stamp, then to the pier for the captain’s signature.
First the Stamp, Then the Sea
邮差笑着说：“先贴邮票，再慢慢想吧。”
The mail carrier laughs and says, “First put on the stamp, then take your time thinking.”
First the Stamp, Then the Sea
阿海和小文先看了彼此，再一起看向海边。
Ahai and Xiaowen first look at each other, then together toward the sea.
The Club Signup
小美先看海报，再问学长。
Xiao Mei first looked at the poster, then asked an older student.