---
title: "Yuanxian Meaning: 原先 (yuánxiān) Means “original”"
description: "原先 (yuánxiān) means “original; former; originally; formerly”. Hear its tones, see what 原 and 先 each mean and a real sentence that uses it."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/yuanxian"
published: "2026-10-21"
updated: "2026-11-06"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[What does it mean in Chinese?](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning)

# What does 原先 mean?

猫头鹰māotóuyīngowl

原先 yuánxiān

## original; former; originally; formerly

## Its characters

1. 原 yuán original
2. 先 xiān first

## In a sentence

我原先住在北京，后来搬走了。 I originally lived in Beijing, but later moved away.

[More about 原先](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%8E%9F%E5%85%88)

## More words with 原 or 先

- [草原 cǎoyuán](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/caoyuan)
- [高原 gāoyuán](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/gaoyuan)
- [还原 huányuán](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/huanyuan)
- [领先 lǐngxiān](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/lingxian)
- [平原 píngyuán](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/pingyuan)
- [首先 shǒuxiān](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/shouxian)
- [率先 shuàixiān](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/shuaixian)
- [先锋 xiānfēng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/xianfeng)
- [先后 xiānhòu](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/xianhou)
- [先进 xiānjìn](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/xianjin)

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