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Are 先に and 最初に interchangeable? For example in these sentences are there any
nuances?

> それ、どっちを先に入れるんですか。

> それ、どっちを最初に入れるんですか。
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2022-02-15T17:57:12.590
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2022-02-15T23:16:05.603
2022-02-15T18:42:54.797
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question
grammar word-choice
Are 先に and 最初に interchangeable?
先に literally means _earlier_ and 最初に _first_ although both may be translated
as _first_ like the examples.

As for the examples, both mean the same because どっち usually assumes two things
and what is put earlier is what is put first.

On the other hand, consider the following when there are three people A, B and
C.

  1. Aさんが先に来た
  2. Aさんが最初に来た

2 unambiguously means _A was the first to come_. 1 could mean _A was the
first_ or _A came earlier (than someone the speaker has in mind implicitly)_.

* * *

Note that どれを先にいれるんですか and どれを最初にいれるんですか most probably mean the same even if
there are more than two things. I suppose this is just because asking about
the second (etc.) thing to put is unlikely.
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2022-02-15T23:16:05.603
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answer