The first thing is the second
It is a Chinese idiom. The Pinyin is Xi ā nhu ā h ò ugu ǒ. It used to be a metaphor for a man born after a woman. It's from xingshihengyan.
The origin of Idioms
Feng Menglong of the Ming Dynasty, Volume 27 of Xingshi Hengyan: "gave birth to three women and a man: the son's name is Chengzu, the eldest daughter's name is Yuying, the second daughter's name is Taoying, and the third daughter's name is Yueying. Yuan comes first. It's Yuying who lives in the first place, and then inherits her ancestors. "
Idiom usage
It is a metaphor for a man born after a woman.
The first thing is the second
eliminate disease and prolong life - qū bìng yán nián
adopt good advice from all quarters - bó cǎi zhòng yì
the face looks white as if painted - miàn rú fǔ fěn