先ず (Mazu) is a Japanese adverb meaning “first (of all), firstly, to begin with, before anything else”.
Meanings
- adverbfirst (of all); firstly; to begin with; before anything else
- adverbprobably; most likely; almost certainly; virtually
- adverbmore or less (satisfactory); on the whole; reasonably
- adverbanyway; at any rate; for now (at least); for the time being
Examples
遊ぶよりはまず仕事。
Business before pleasure.
小説はまず成功だった。
All in all, the novel was a success.
彼はまずめったに笑わない。
He seldom, if ever, laughs.
Sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR).