優先
ゆうせん · yuusen · JLPT N1 · noun
priority
🥇 優 = superior, excellent + 先 = first, ahead: the superior one goes first
優 means excellent or superior, and 先 means before or ahead. Together they give 'the excellent one goes first', which is the core of priority and preference. Pronounced yuu-sen, it sounds like 'you, then': you come first.
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.