一马当先 yīmǎdāngxiān to take the lead Origin Definitions Defs Strokes Stroke Words Sentences Sents 一 yī numeral one one; the number 1; single; alone马 馬 mǎ noun horse horse; any animal of the horse family; large mammal used for riding, pulling carts, or farm work当先 當先 dāngxiān to take the lead To be at the front or in the lead; to be in the vanguard.