Meaning and Usage
"우선" means "first of all" or "priority." It is used to indicate what should be done before anything else or what takes precedence in a situation.
Common Contexts
You will often hear "우선" when someone wants to emphasize the first step in a process or to highlight what is most important at the moment.
Collocations and Patterns
- 우선 ~부터: emphasizing the first thing to do (e.g., 우선 이 문제부터)
- 우선순위: priority or order of importance
- 우선 자리를 잡다: to get settled first
Register and Politeness
"우선" is neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. It fits well in spoken and written Korean.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse "우선" with "먼저," which also means "first." "우선" often implies priority or precedence, while "먼저" is more about temporal order. For example, "우선순위" means "priority," which cannot be replaced by "먼저순위."