Sequencing with "xian" and "zai"

"先..., 在..." (xiān..., xài...) is a pattern used for sequencing events, much like "First..., then..." in English.

Here's the basic structure:

先 + Event 1 + 再 + Event 2

Some examples of this pattern:

• 我 会 先 洗 手，再 吃 晚饭。
• 她 要 先 吃 早饭，再 去 学校。
• 他 的 朋友 都 先 看 电影，再 去 酒吧。

Sources and further reading

Books

• Integrated Chinese: Simplified Characters Textbook, Level 1, Part 1 (pp. 122-123)