諺語 · a single proverb
先入為主
Simplified: 先入为主
What does 先入為主 (xiān rù wéi zhǔ) mean?
先入為主 (xiān rù wéi zhǔ) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "what enters first becomes the master." In use it means: First impressions dominate perception; the initial information you receive frames everything that follows. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rat.
Literally: "what enters first becomes the master."
The reading
The first version of the story is the one your brain builds the house around. Every version after that is renovation, and renovation is always harder than construction. This is why the person who speaks first often wins, even when the person who speaks second is right.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Han Shu 漢書; common expression
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rat, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 先入為主 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 先入為主 (xiān rù wéi zhǔ) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Han Shu 漢書; common expression. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 先入為主?
In Mandarin it is xiān rù wéi zhǔ. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 先入為主 aloud in Mandarin.