在先

在先	zài xiān	to come first / previous / prior / beforehand / first / formerly
在	zài	to exist; to be alive / (of sb or sth) to be (located) at / (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress)
先	xiān	beforehand; first; earlier / at first; originally / for the time being; for now / (prefix) my late (in referring to deceased relatives older than oneself)