〜に先駆けて: Being the First, 'Ahead Of Others'
Being first, ahead of rivals
に先駆けて marks that the subject did something before anyone else in its group — a competitor, an industry, or the rest of the world. It's a favorite of business and news Japanese, always framing the subject as a trailblazer.
この会社は業界に先駆けて新技術を導入した。
このかいしゃは ぎょうかいに さきがけて しんぎじゅつを どうにゅうした。
This company introduced new technology ahead of the industry.
日本は世界に先駆けて高速鉄道を開発した。
にほんは せかいに さきがけて こうそくてつどうを かいはつした。
Japan developed high-speed rail ahead of the rest of the world.
本番に先駆けて最終リハーサルが行われた。
ほんばんに さきがけて さいしゅうリハーサルが おこなわれた。
The final rehearsal was held ahead of the actual performance.
What it attaches to
に先駆けて follows a noun naming the group, region, or event that the subject is getting ahead of.
| Attaches to | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun (group/rivals) | 業界 + に先駆けて | 業界に先駆けて |
| Noun (region/scope) | 世界 + に先駆けて | 世界に先駆けて |
| Noun (event) | 本番 + に先駆けて | 本番に先駆けて |
やったんは友達に先駆けて新しいアプリの使い方を覚えた。
やったんは ともだちに さきがけて あたらしい アプリの つかいかたを おぼえた。
Yattan learned how to use the new app ahead of his friends.
に先駆けて vs に先立ち: a race vs. a schedule
に先駆けて always implies competition — being first among others who haven't done it yet. に先立ち carries no competitive sense at all; it simply means an action happens before a later event, with no rivals in the picture.
発表に先立ち、モチは業界に先駆けてその情報を得ていた。
はっぴょうに さきだち、モチは ぎょうかいに さきがけて そのじょうほうを えていた。
Prior to the announcement, Mochi had already gotten that information ahead of the industry.
に先立ち = before the announcement (schedule); に先駆けて = ahead of others (a race).
The short version
- 〜に先駆けて = "ahead of / before others," always implying rivals or peers.
- Attaches to: a noun naming the group, region, or scope being outpaced.
- Nuance/register: formal, common in business/news writing; carries a note of pride.
- Don't confuse with: に先立ち, which just means "before" a later event, with no competitive nuance.
Practice it
Choose に先駆けて when the sentence emphasizes being first among rivals or peers.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
この会社は業界＿＿＿新技術を導入した。
Where 〜に先駆けて fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- 〜てください · N5 — 〜てください is the standard way to politely ask someone to do something ('please do…'). Learn the formation, the negative 〜ないでください, softer variations, and see clear examples.
More N1 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜に堪える — 〜に堪える means something is good or strong enough to 'withstand' an action — worth watching, worthy of trust. Its negative, 〜に堪えない, is far more common and means the opposite: too poor or painful to bear.
- 〜に足る — 〜に足る attaches to a noun or the dictionary form of a verb and means 'enough to,' 'worthy of,' or 'sufficient for' — the thing clears the bar a specific purpose requires. It's close to に値する but leans on adequacy rather than abstract worth.
- 〜によらず — によらず is a formal expression meaning 'regardless of / irrespective of' (年齢によらず参加できる). It attaches to a noun to state that a rule or possibility holds no matter what that factor is, often in official announcements.
- 〜の至り — 〜の至り attaches to an emotion noun to mean 'the utmost' or 'the height of' — 光栄の至り (the height of honor). It's a formal, often humble expression for feeling something at its most extreme, typically joy, honor, or shame.
- 〜の極み — 〜の極み attaches to a noun to mean 'the height of' or 'the extreme of' — 贅沢の極み (the height of luxury). Like 〜の至り, it marks a state at its absolute peak, but it leans toward describing situations and conditions, often negative ones.
- 〜のみか — 〜のみか means 'not only... but even/also,' formally introducing a second fact that goes further than expected — 英語のみか、フランス語も (not only English, but even French). It's close to 〜のみならず but often stresses surprise at the added extreme.