先是

先是

1. (literary) previous to now

   • 先是因為一些小事而被公司解僱，接着好不容易在便利店找到份part-time，結果竟然因為被投訴成日找錯錢，老闆一氣之下把他辭退，最後連同居了五年的女朋友亦因為一腳踏兩船而分手！ [Cantonese, trad.]
     先是因为一些小事而被公司解雇，接着好不容易在便利店找到份part-time，结果竟然因为被投诉成日找错钱，老板一气之下把他辞退，最后连同居了五年的女朋友亦因为一脚踏两船而分手！ [Cantonese, simp.]

     From: 2016, 超媒體編輯組, 香港盂蘭夜話, page 75

     sin¹ si⁶ jan¹ wai⁶ jat¹ se¹ siu² si⁶ ji⁴ bei⁶ gung¹ si¹ gaai² gu³, zip³ zoek⁶ hou² bat¹ jung⁴ ji⁶ zoi⁶ bin⁶ lei⁶ dim³ zaau² dou³ fan⁶ paat¹ taai¹, git³ gwo² ging² jin⁴ jan¹ wai⁶ bei⁶ tau⁴ sou³ seng⁴ jat⁶ zaau² co³ cin^4-2, lou⁵ baan² jat¹ hei³ zi¹ haa⁶ baa² taa¹ ci⁴ teoi³, zeoi³ hau⁶ lin⁴ tung⁴ geoi¹ liu⁵ ng⁵ nin⁴ dik¹ neoi⁵ pang⁴ jau⁵ jik⁶ jan¹ wai⁶ jat¹ goek³ daap⁶ loeng⁵ syun⁴ ji⁴ fan¹ sau²! [Jyutping]

     First, he was fired by his company for something trivial. Then, after finding a part-time job with much difficulty, because someone complained that he keeps giving back the wrong change, his boss fired him in a fury. In the end, he even broke up with his girlfriend who was living together with him for five years because of two-timing.