领先
lǐngxiān · HSK 3
lead
🥇 领 (lead/collar) + 先 (first) = lead first, be ahead
领 means to lead or a collar (what goes first on a shirt); 先 means first or earlier. Together they mean to be in the lead — first ahead of the rest, as in a race or competition.
领 — 令 (command, phonetic) + 页 (head)
A semantic-phonetic compound. 页 (head/page) gives the meaning, originally referring to the neck or collar — the part connecting the head to the body. 令 supplies the sound. From 'neck/collar' it extended to 'lead, guide, receive,' since the neck leads the body.
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.