first
The person or thing in the first positionThe person or thing in the first position.
» I must finish this work first.
Ich muss zuerst diese Arbeit beenden.
Я должен сначала закончить эту работу.
Я должен сперва закончить эту работу.
Я должен сперва доделать эту работу.
Я повинен спочатку завершити цю роботу.
Meaning
8 senses(uncountable)The person or thing in the first position.
He was the first to complete the course.
Erste
пе́рвыйpérvyj
пе́ршийpéršyj
(uncountable)The first gear of an engine.
the first element in a countable series
(countable)Something that has never happened before; a new occurrence.
This is a first. For once he has nothing to say.
Novum
(countable)First base.
There was a close play at first.
the first or highest in an ordering or series
(UK, colloquial, countable)A first-class honours degree.
an honours degree of the highest class
(colloquial, countable)A first-edition copy of some publication.
(countable, in compounds, uncountable)A fraction whose (integer) denominator ends in the digit 1.
one forty-first of the estate
(obsolete)Time; time granted; respite.
the time at which something is supposed to begin
Examples
10469 sentencesI must finish this work first.
Я повинен спочатку завершити цю роботу.
ruЯ должен сначала закончить эту работу.
deIch muss zuerst diese Arbeit beenden.
Please fill out this form first.
Будь ласка, спочатку заповніть цю форму.
ruПожалуйста, заполните сначала этот бланк.
deBitte füllen Sie zuerst dieses Formular aus.
At first, I didn't like him.
Спершу він мені не подобався.
ruСначала он мне не нравился.
deZuerst mochte ich ihn nicht.
Tom got first prize, didn't he?
Том взяв перший приз, чи не так?
ruТом ведь первый приз взял, да?
deTom hat den ersten Preis gewonnen, nicht wahr?
Is this your first trip abroad?
Це твоя перша поїздка за кордон?
ruЭто твоя первая поездка за границу?
deIst dies deine erste Reise ins Ausland?
Translations
9 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
By meaning 2
Origin
From Middle English first, furst, ferst, fyrst, from Old English fyrest, from Proto-West GFrom Middle English first, furst, ferst, fyrst, from Old English fyrest, from Proto-West Germanic *furist, from Proto-Germanic *furistaz (“first, foremost”), superlative of Proto-Germanic *furai, *furi (“before”), from Proto-Indo-European *preh₂- (“before”), from *per- (“before; first”), equivalent to fore + -est.
From Middle English first, furst, fyrst, from Old English fyrst, fierst, first (“period, space of time, time, respite, truce”), from Proto-Germanic *frestaz, *fristiz, *frestą (“date, appointed time”), from Proto-Indo-European *pres-, *per- (“forward, forth, over, beyond”). Cognate with North Frisian ferst, frest (“period, time”), German Frist (“period, deadline, term”), Swedish frist (“deadline, respite, reprieve, time-limit”), Icelandic frestur (“period”). See also frist.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: firstsSynonyms
16 synonyms- an honours degree of the highest class:first-class honours degree
- the first element in a countable series:number onenumber 1
- the first or highest in an ordering or series:number one
- the fielding position of the player on a baseball team who is stationed at first of the bases in the infield (counting counterclockwise from home plate):first base
- the lowest forward gear ratio in the gear box of a motor vehicle; used to start a car moving:first gearlow gearlow
- the time at which something is supposed to begin:beginningcommencementoutsetget-gostartkickoffstarting timeshowtime
Lessons for this word
2 lessons- A1Numbers, dates and time — Because the lesson uses it
- A1Countable and uncountable nouns — Because it can be uncountable
Collocations
12 patterns- the first time
- was the first
- first time
- the first one
- first one to
- first time that
- the first person
- first met
- remember the first
- for the first
- first person to
- the first thing