1The tip, point, or end of an elongated object — the foremost or tapering part (e.g., the tip of a pen, the end of a stick, the nozzle of a hose). Read さき (kun-yomi).
ペンの先が折れて、書けなくなってしまった。
The tip of the pen broke off and now it won't write.
ナイフの先で封筒を開けた。
I used the tip of the knife to open the envelope.
傘の先が床にぶつかって音がした。
The tip of the umbrella hit the floor and made a sound.
ホースの先からほんの少しだけ水が出ている。
Just a trickle of water is coming out of the end of the hose.
2The head or front of a line or sequence — the position at the very start of a queue or procession.
列の先にもう知り合いが並んでいた。
An acquaintance of mine was already standing at the front of the line.
行列の先には何があるんだろう。
I wonder what's at the head of that line.
パレードの先を歩いているのが市長だ。
The one walking at the head of the parade is the mayor.
3First, before, or ahead of others — used adverbially as 先に〜する to mean doing something earlier or ahead of someone else. Also appears in set phrases like お先に失礼します (excuse me for leaving first).
お先にどうぞ。
Please, after you. (lit. 'Please go first.')
じゃあ、先に行って待ってるね。
OK, I'll go ahead and wait for you, then.
冷めるから、先に食べてください。
It'll get cold — please go ahead and start eating.
お先に失礼します。
Excuse me for leaving before you. (workplace farewell)
4Further along; ahead; beyond — refers to a place further in the direction one is heading, as in この道の先 (further along this road) or トンネルを抜けた先 (beyond the tunnel).
この道の先に古いお寺がある。
There's an old temple further along this road.
トンネルを抜けた先に湖が広がっていた。
Beyond the tunnel, a lake spread out before us.
もう少し先に進めば、見晴らしのいい場所に出る。
If you go a bit further, you'll come out at a spot with a great view.
5The future; the time ahead — used in expressions like これから先 (from now on), 五年先 (five years ahead), or 先のこと (matters of the future).
これから先のことは、誰にも分からない。
No one knows what lies ahead from here.
十年先を見据えて計画を立てる。
We're making plans with an eye ten years into the future.
先のことばかり心配しても仕方ない。
There's no point in worrying only about the future.
6Just earlier; a moment ago; the recent past — as in 先のメール (the earlier email), 先ほど (a moment ago), 先のお客様 (the previous customer). Note that in Sino-Japanese compounds like 先週/先月/先日, the same kanji reads せん — see the separate 先 (せん) entry.
先のメールでお伝えしたとおりです。
It's just as I mentioned in the earlier email.
先ほどはお電話に出られず、失礼しました。
I'm sorry I couldn't pick up your call a moment ago.
先のお客様は、忘れ物をされていきました。
The customer who was just here left something behind.
7A destination, address, or place where something is directed — also a highly productive suffix in 〜先 forms: 行き先 (destination), 送り先 (shipping address), 就職先 (where one is employed), 引っ越し先 (where one is moving to), 取引先 (business partner), 嫁ぎ先 (the family one marries into).
タクシーの運転手に行き先を伝えた。
I told the taxi driver my destination.
送り先の住所をもう一度確認してください。
Please double-check the shipping address.
引っ越し先がまだ決まっていない。
I haven't decided where I'm moving to yet.
彼は希望していた就職先から内定をもらった。
He received a job offer from the company he was hoping to work for.
8What comes next; the rest or continuation — used for the remaining part of a story, conversation, or sequence of events, as in 先が気になる (I'm curious about what happens next).
小説の先が気になって、夜も眠れない。
I'm so hooked on what happens next in the novel that I can't sleep.
話の先を聞かせてください。
Please tell me what happens next in the story.
ドラマの先がどうなるのか早く知りたい。
I can't wait to find out what happens next in the drama.
9The other party — the counterparty in dealings or correspondence. Sometimes used in business contexts to refer to 'the other side' as opposed to oneself. The more common word for this is 先方 (senpō).
先のご都合に合わせて日程を調整します。
We'll adjust the schedule to fit the other party's availability.
この件は先と相談してから決めたい。
I'd like to discuss this with the other party before deciding.