beforehand; first; earlier; at first; originally; for the time being; for now; (prefix) my late (in referring to deceased relatives older than oneself)

sophisticated; advanced (technology etc); meritorious; exemplary (deeds etc)

a person of foresight; (religion) a prophet

before; previously

(loanword) shilling

vanguard; pioneer; avant-garde

precedent

to leave first (courteous expression used to excuse oneself); (euphemism) to predecease; to die first (e.g. before one's spouse)

to start off before the others; to precede; to proceed in advance

to pioneer; pioneer; trailblazer

(idiom) to gain the initiative by striking first; to preempt

early or late; first and last; priority; in succession; one after another

ancestor; forefather; sb's late father

(idiom) strike first to gain the upper hand

critical opportunity

embryonic period (contrasted with 後天|后天[hou4 tian1]); inborn; innate; natural

(literary) my deceased grandfather; (literary) ancestors

former sovereigns

foresight; prescience

prior; preexisting

former ruler; founding ruler

omen

(literary) my late father

prerequisite; necessary

to take preemptive action; (sports) to be in the starting lineup; (of a baseball pitcher) to be the starting pitcher

my late father; my ancestors; the late emperor

the wise and learned individuals of the past

herald; precursor; harbinger

(usu. of troops) in advance; in the vanguard; previously; in front; placed ahead of others

(literary) my late mother

to introduce sb, putting in a good word for them in advance

to lead the way; guide; forerunner; pioneer

one's late teacher

(literary) my late mother

the time before a certain date; in advance; beforehand; premature; initial period

(literary) my late mother

forebears

Western Han dynasty (206 BC–8 AD), aka 西漢|西汉[Xi1 Han4]

source; precursor; forerunner

martyr

deceased father; my late father

emperor of a former dynasty

pre-Qin, Chinese history up to the foundation of the Qin imperial dynasty in 221 BC

person of foresight

(literary) ancient sage

an older generation; ancestors; forefathers

(literary) our learned predecessors

to be the first; to lead the way

(philosophy) a priori