1.
predecessor; forerunner; those who came before; our forebears
People who lived or worked in the past, especially those whose achievements, wisdom, or example serve as a legacy to later generations. Typically collective rather than pointing to one individual, and carries a tone of respect. Often appears in essays, speeches, and commemorative writing in phrases like '先人の知恵' ('the wisdom of our forebears') or '先人の努力' ('the efforts of those before us').
先人の知恵。
The wisdom of our forebears.
先人の教えを大切にする。
To treasure the teachings of those who came before us.
今日の繁栄は先人たちの努力の上に成り立っている。
Today's prosperity stands upon the efforts of those who came before us.
研究者としては、先人の残した業績に謙虚に学ぶ姿勢が欠かせない。
As a researcher, an attitude of humbly learning from the achievements left by one's predecessors is indispensable.
Compound of 先 ('earlier; before') and 人 ('person'). Pattern 先-: 先輩 ('senior'), 先祖 ('ancestor'), 先生 ('teacher').
USAGE:
- Usually collective and abstract: 'people of earlier times' in general, not one specific predecessor. For a specific named predecessor in a role, use 前任者 or 先代.
- Carries a respectful tone and belongs to formal written and spoken registers (speeches, essays, academic prose). Rare in casual conversation.
- Commonly followed by たち for a plural sense: 先人たち.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 先人の知恵: the wisdom of our forebears
- 先人の教え: the teachings of those before us
- 先人の努力: the efforts of predecessors
- 先人の業績: the achievements of predecessors
- 先人に学ぶ: to learn from those who came before
- 先人の足跡をたどる: to follow in the footsteps of our predecessors
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 先輩: senior (same school, company, field) — a living, often personal relationship.
- 先祖: ancestor — one's own family/lineage forebears.
- 先駆者: pioneer — emphasizes being first in a new field.
- 前任者: one's immediate predecessor in a specific role.
- 先代: the previous generation (of a head of household, shop owner, etc.).
ANTONYM:
- 後人 / 後世の人: those who come after; future generations.