先天
xiāntiān · HSK 7
congenital
🌅 先天 = 先 before + 天 heaven; what is set before nature acts, hence innate or a priori
Decomposes as before (先) plus heaven or nature (天): the traits present before nature or experience shapes you. Contrast 后天 (after-heaven), which means acquired or learned later in life.
先 — 𠂉 (person variant) on top + 儿 (legs) below
先 originally depicted a person with a foot or step shown above the legs 儿, suggesting someone walking ahead. From this image of going before others came the meanings 'first,' 'earlier,' and 'ahead.' The modern shape preserves the 'legs' radical underneath.
天 — 一 (one/sky) above 大 (big person)
Originally a pictograph of a person (大) with an emphasized head, representing what is above — the sky or heavens. The top stroke evolved into 一, symbolizing the vast expanse overhead. From 'sky' it extended to mean 'day,' 'heaven,' and 'nature.'