预先
yù xiān · HSK 7
in advance
⏰ 预 (pre-) + 先 (first) = pre + first, so something settled before anything else
Both halves point the same way: 预 carries the pre- sense and 先 means first or prior. Stacked together they double down on doing a thing ahead of time, i.e. beforehand or in advance.
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.