How to Say ‘I'll be going first.’ in Simplified Chinese
我先走了。
wǒ xiān zǒu le
[waw shyen zǒu le]
💬 Usage Tip: 先 (xiān) "first" softens the leaving, implying that others will stay on. It's the standard way to excuse yourself, and it isn't about literally going before anyone else.
🇨🇳 In China: Hosts will often protest with 再坐一会儿 "stay a bit longer". Repeating that you need to go, with a smile, is the normal back-and-forth.
Phrase Breakdown
我先
wǒ xiān
I'll first / I'll be the first to
先 means 'first' or 'before others'. Because 我 is third tone before first-tone 先, keep 我 low.
我先吃。
I'll eat first.
Words in this phrase
我
wǒ
[waw]
me; I
The first-person pronoun meaning me or I, depending on sentence position.
这次谈话对我帮助很大。
This conversation was very helpful to me.
先
xiān
[shyen]
first; beforehand
Shows that one action happens before another.
你可以先看看公司的介绍。
You can first take a look at the company's introduction.
走了。
zǒu le
leave now.
走 means 'to leave', and 了 marks a change about to happen. 了 is light.
他走了。
He has left.
Words in this phrase
走
zǒu
[zǒu]
to leave; to go away
To depart from a place.
我们该走了。
We should leave now.
了
le
[le]
change-of-state particle
Used with 快…了 to show something is about to happen.
火车快来了。
The train is about to arrive.
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