先時

Chinese

		early; prior; former early; prior; former; in advance; first	o'clock; time; when o'clock; time; when; hour; season; period
trad. (先時)		先	時
simp. (先时)		先	时

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): xiānshí

(Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄢㄕˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): sin¹ si⁴

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: xiānshí
  - Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄢㄕˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: sianshíh
  - Wade–Giles: hsien¹-shih²
  - Yale: syān-shŕ
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shianshyr
  - Palladius: сяньши (sjanʹši)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: sin¹ si⁴
  - Yale: sīn sìh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: sin¹ si⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: xin¹ xi⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /siːn⁵⁵ siː²¹/

Noun

先時

(literary) earlier times; in the beginning
- 如今的這榮寧二府也都蕭索了，不比先時的光景。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
  如今的这荣宁二府也都萧索了，不比先时的光景。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]
  From: Cao Xueqin, Dream of the Red Chamber, mid-18^th century CE
  Rújīn de zhè Róng Níng èr fǔ yě dōu xiāosuǒ le, bùbǐ xiānshí de guāngjǐng. [Pinyin]
  (please add an English translation of this quotation)
- 1877, Donald Bruce, “Lesson 62”, in Easy Phrases in the Canton Dialect of the Chinese Language, 2nd edition, San Francisco: Bruce's Printing House:
  
  個件事我先時唔知 [Cantonese, trad.]
  个件事我先时唔知 [Cantonese, simp.]
  go³ gin⁶ si⁶ ngo⁵ sin¹ si⁴ m⁴ zi¹ [Jyutping]
  I did not know that before.
- 1899, 馬可福音：中西字 [The Gospel according to St. Mark in English and Cantonese], Shanghai: American Presbyterian Mission Press, page 20:
  
  嚟到耶穌處、見先時被成軍嘅鬼所迷之人、坐倒處、着翻衣服、自自在在、佢哋就慌起嚟 [Cantonese, trad.]
  嚟到耶稣处、见先时被成军嘅鬼所迷之人、坐倒处、着翻衣服、自自在在、佢哋就慌起嚟 [Cantonese, simp.]
  lai⁴ dou³ je⁴ sou¹ cyu², gin³ sin¹ si⁴ bei⁶ sing⁴ gwan¹ ge³ gwai² so² mai⁴ zi¹ jan⁴, co⁵ dou² cyu³, zoek³ faan¹ ji¹ fuk⁶, zi⁶ zi⁶ zoi⁶ zoi⁶, keoi⁵ dei⁶ zau⁶ fong¹ hei² lai⁴ [Jyutping]
  And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.