初

初 U+521D, 初 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-521D ← 刜 [U+521C] CJK Unified Ideographs 刞 → [U+521E]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

初 (Kangxi radical 18, 刀+5, 7 strokes, cangjie input 中尸竹 (LSH), four-corner 3722₀, composition ⿰衤刀)

Derived characters

• 𢮀, 𦁅, 𫋶, 𪯨, 𭝘, 𤙟, 𤯦, 𠸗, 𩷞, 𪁲, 𠠭

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 137, character 33
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 1911
• Dae Jaweon: page 310, character 1
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 327, character 22
• Unihan data for U+521D

Chinese

simp. and trad.		初
2nd round simp.		𥘉
alternative forms		𥝢 𠜆 𫢈 𢀯 𢀰 𥝢 𠜆 𫢈 𢀯 𢀰 𡔈 䥚 𠫎 𣦂

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 初
Shang	Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意): 衤 (“clothes”) + 刀 (“knife; to cut”) – start making clothes by cutting the cloth.

The various 𢀰-shaped glyphs are or are evolved from Zetian characters.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): chū (chu¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄔㄨ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): cu¹

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): co¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): co¹

• Gan (Wiktionary): cu¹
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): chhû

  (Hailu, HRS): cu^ˋ / co^ˋ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): ci¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): cu¹
• Northern Min (KCR): chú
• Eastern Min (BUC): chĕ̤ / chŭ
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): coe¹ / ce¹
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): chhoe / chhe / chhere / chho͘

  (Teochew, Peng'im): co¹ / ciu¹

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹tshu
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): cou¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chū
    • Zhuyin: ㄔㄨ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chu
    • Wade–Giles: chʻu¹
    • Yale: chū
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chu
    • Palladius: чу (ču)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: cu¹
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: cu
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰu⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: co¹
    • Yale: chō
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tso¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: co¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɔː⁵⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: co¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰᵘɔ³³/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: cu¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰu⁴²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhû
    • Hakka Romanization System: cu^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: cu¹
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰu²⁴/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: cu^ˋ / co^ˋ
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰu⁵³/, /t͡sʰo⁵³/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: ci¹
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰz̩⁴⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: cu¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡sʰu¹¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: chú
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰu⁵⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: chĕ̤ / chŭ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰœ⁵⁵/, /t͡sʰu⁵⁵/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian, Nanri)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: coe¹
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: che̤
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰø⁵³³/
  • (Jiangkou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: coe¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰœ⁵³³/
  • (Xianyou, Youyang)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: coe¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰø⁵⁴⁴/
  • (Fengting)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: ce¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰe⁵⁴⁴/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Sanxia, Kinmen, Magong, Hsinchu, Singapore)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhoe
    • Tâi-lô: tshue
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zhoef
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sʰue³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kinmen, Singapore): /t͡sʰue⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, Yilan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhe
    • Tâi-lô: tshe
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zhef
    • IPA (Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Yilan): /t͡sʰe⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Sanxia)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhere
    • Tâi-lô: tshere
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese, Singapore)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chho͘
    • Tâi-lô: tshoo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zhof
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sʰɔ³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Singapore): /t͡sʰɔ⁴⁴/

Note:

• chhoe/chhe - vernacular;
• chho͘ - literary.

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: co¹ / ciu¹
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tsho / tshiu
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰo³³/, /t͡sʰiu³³/

Note:

• ciu1 - only when referring to days 1-10 of the month in the Chinese calendar;
• co1 - all other senses.

• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹tshu
    • MiniDict: tshu^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹tshu
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡sʰu⁵³/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: cou¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰəu̯³³/

---

• Middle Chinese: tsrhjo

Rime
Character	初
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	初 (19)
Final (韻)	魚 (22)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	楚居切
Baxter	tsrhjo
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡ʃʰɨʌ/
Pan Wuyun	/ʈ͡ʂʰiɔ/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡ʃʰiɔ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʈ͡ʂʰɨə̆/
Li Rong	/t͡ʃʰiɔ/
Wang Li	/t͡ʃʰĭo/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ʈ͡ʂʰi̯wo/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	chū
Expected Cantonese Reflex	co1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[ts]ʰra/

  (Zhengzhang): /*sʰra/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	初
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	chū
Middle Chinese	‹ tsrhjo ›
Old Chinese	/*[ts]ʰra/
English	beginning
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	初
Reading #	1/1
No.	1589
Phonetic component	初
Rime group	魚
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	初
Old Chinese	/*sʰra/

Definitions

初

1. initial; inceptive

   初夏  ―  chūxià  ―  early summer

2. first

   初雪  ―  chūxuě  ―  first snow

   初戀／初恋  ―  chūliàn  ―  first love

3. prefix of dates from 1^st to 10^th in the Chinese calendar

   初三  ―  chūsān  ―  third day of a lunar month

4. original

   初衷  ―  chūzhōng  ―  one’s initial intention; original idea

5. elementary; basic

   初級／初级  ―  chūjí  ―  elementary

6. beginning; start

   四月初  ―  sìyuè chū  ―  early April

   民初  ―  mínchū  ―  beginning of the Republic of China era

7. just

   初出茅廬／初出茅庐  ―  chūchūmáolú  ―  to have just begun one's career without any experience (literally, “to have just come out of one's thatched cottage”)

   如夢初醒／如梦初醒  ―  rúmèngchūxǐng  ―  to suddenly realize; to wake up to reality (literally, “as if one has just waken up from a dream”)

   • 遙想公瑾當年，小喬初嫁了，雄姿英發。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     遥想公瑾当年，小乔初嫁了，雄姿英发。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 1082, Su Shi, 念奴嬌·赤壁懷古

     Yáoxiǎng Gōngjǐn dāngnián, Xiǎoqiáo chū jià le, xióngzīyīngfā. [Pinyin]

     Recalling the year when Gongjin had just had Xiao Qiao as his wife, robust and beaming with might.

Compounds

• 一本初衷
• 久夢初醒 / 久梦初醒
• 最初 (zuìchū)
• 冬初
• 凌濛初
• 初一 (chūyī)
• 初一十五 (chūyī shíwǔ)
• 初七
• 初中 (chūzhōng)
• 初乳 (chūrǔ)
• 初二 (chū'èr)
• 初五隔開 / 初五隔开
• 初交
• 初伏
• 初冬 (chūdōng)
• 初出茅廬 / 初出茅庐 (chūchūmáolú)
• 初創 / 初创 (chūchuàng)
• 初印本
• 初吉 (chūjí)
• 初唐 (Chūtáng)
• 初唐四傑 / 初唐四杰
• 初喪 / 初丧
• 初夏 (chūxià)
• 初夜 (chūyè)
• 初夜權 / 初夜权 (chūyèquán)
• 初妻
• 初始 (chūshǐ)
• 初婚 (chūhūn)
• 初學 / 初学 (chūxué)
• 初學記 / 初学记
• 初審 / 初审 (chūshěn)
• 初寫黃庭 / 初写黄庭
• 初小
• 初度 (chūdù)
• 初弦 (chūxián)
• 初心 (chūxīn)
• 初志
• 初意 (chūyì)
• 初戀 / 初恋 (chūliàn)
• 初戰 / 初战 (chūzhàn)
• 初文 (chūwén)
• 初日 (chūrì)
• 初旬 (chūxún)
• 初春 (chūchūn)
• 初時 / 初时 (chūshí)
• 初晡日
• 初更 (chūgēng)
• 初月
• 初服
• 初期 (chūqī)
• 初次 (chūcì)
• 初步 (chūbù)
• 初歲 / 初岁
• 初民
• 初版 (chūbǎn)
• 初犯 (chūfàn)
• 初獻 / 初献
• 初生之犢 / 初生之犊 (chūshēngzhīdú)
• 初發 / 初发
• 初發芙蓉 / 初发芙蓉
• 初眠
• 初祖
• 初秋 (chūqiū)
• 初秋圖 / 初秋图
• 初稿 (chūgǎo)
• 初立
• 初等 (chūděng)
• 初等函數 / 初等函数 (chūděng hánshù)
• 初等教育 (chūděng jiàoyù)
• 初篁
• 初級 / 初级 (chūjí)
• 初級中學 / 初级中学 (chūjí zhōngxué)
• 初級團體 / 初级团体
• 初級小學 / 初级小学
• 初級關係 / 初级关系
• 初虧 / 初亏
• 初衣
• 初衷 (chūzhōng)
• 初診 / 初诊 (chūzhěn)
• 初試 / 初试 (chūshì)
• 初試啼聲 / 初试啼声
• 初試身手 / 初试身手
• 初賽 / 初赛 (chūsài)
• 初速 (chūsù)
• 初選 / 初选 (chūxuǎn)
• 初選制 / 初选制
• 初間 / 初间
• 初階 / 初阶
• 初陽 / 初阳 (chūyáng)
• 初雪 (chūxuě)
• 初霜 (chūshuāng)
• 初露鋒芒 / 初露锋芒
• 初露頭角 / 初露头角
• 初頭 / 初头 (chūtóu)
• 初願 / 初愿 (chūyuàn)
• 劈初頭 / 劈初头
• 厥初
• 反初服
• 和好如初 (héhǎorúchū)
• 國初 / 国初
• 大夢初醒 / 大梦初醒
• 大年初一 (dànián chūyī)
• 大病初癒 / 大病初愈
• 太初
• 太初曆 / 太初历
• 如初 (rúchū)
• 如夢初覺 / 如梦初觉
• 如夢初醒 / 如梦初醒 (rúmèngchūxǐng)
• 如醉初醒
• 完好如初 (wánhǎorúchū)
• 宜初
• 山初 (Shānchū)
• 年初 (niánchū)
• 往初
• 從初 / 从初
• 悔不當初 / 悔不当初 (huǐbùdāngchū)
• 情竇初開 / 情窦初开
• 新硎初試 / 新硎初试
• 旭日初升
• 晴初
• 月初 (yuèchū)
• 本初 (běnchū)
• 民初 (mínchū)
• 泰初
• 瓜字初分
• 當初 / 当初 (dāngchū)
• 華燈初上 / 华灯初上
• 賓之初筵 / 宾之初筵
• 起初 (qǐchū)
• 遂初
• 開初 / 开初 (kāichū)

Descendants

• → Vietnamese: xưa

References

• “初”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[2], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• 李如龙 [Li, Ru-long], 刘福铸 [Liu, Fu-zhu], 吴华英 [Wu, Hua-ying], 黄国城 [Huang, Guo-cheng] (2019) “初”, in 莆仙方言调查报告 [Investigation Report on Puxian Dialect] (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), Xiamen University Press, →ISBN, page 139.

Japanese

Kanji

初

(Fourth grade kyōiku kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: そ (so)
• Kan-on: しょ (sho, Jōyō)
• Kun: はじめ (hajime, 初め, Jōyō)、はじめて (hajimete, 初めて, Jōyō)、はつ (hatsu, 初, Jōyō)、うい (ui, 初, Jōyō)^{←うひ (ufi, 初, historical)}、そめる (someru, 初める, Jōyō)、うぶ (ubu, 初)
• Nanori: し (shi)、もと (moto)

Compounds

• 最(さい)初(しょ) (saisho)
• 初瀬(はせ) (Hase)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
初
はつ Grade: 4
kun'yomi

⟨patu⟩ → /ɸat͡su/ → /hat͡su/

From Old Japanese.

Possible cognates include 始め (hajime, “beginning”) and 端 (ha, “edge of something”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) はつ [hàtsúꜜ] (Odaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [ha̠t͡sɨ]

• (Tokyo) Note: Generally, words that are Odaka become flat with の (の-particle deaccenting). However, the word 初 does not become deaccented with の and is still pronounced as:

• はつの

Prefix

初(はつ) • (hatsu-) 

1. the first..., initial..., new...

Derived terms

• 初(はつ)雁(かり)が音(ね) (hatsu-karigane)
• 初冠雪(はつかんせつ) (hatsukansetsu)
• 初(はつ)子(ご) (hatsugo)
• 初(はつ)恋(こい) (hatsukoi)
• 初(はつ)声(こえ) (hatsukoe)
• 初(はつ)霜(しも) (hatsushimo)
• 初(はつ)誕(たん)生(じょう) (hatsutanjō)
• 初(はつ)年(とし) (hatsutoshi)
• 初(はつ)月(つき) (hatsutsuki), 初(はつ)月(づき) (hatsuzuki)
• 初(はつ)夏(なつ) (hatsunatsu)
• 初(はつ)音(ね) (hatsune)
• 初(はつ)花(はな) (hatsuhana)
• 初(はつ)枕(まくら) (hatsumakura)
• 初(はつ)耳(みみ) (hatsumimi)
• 初(はつ)宮(みや)参(まい)り (hatsu-miyamairi)
• 初(はつ)物(もの) (hatsumono)
• 初(はつ)紅葉(もみじ) (hatsu-momiji)
• 初(はつ)雪(ゆき) (hatsuyuki)

Noun

初(はつ) • (hatsu) 

1. a first, start, a beginning

   Antonym: 末 (sue)

   今年(ことし)初(はつ)のコンサート ― kotoshi hatsu no konsāto ― the first concert of this year

2. (slang) first sexual relations, one's first time

Derived terms

• 御(お)初(はつ) (ohatsu)
• 泊瀬(はつせ), 初(はつ)瀬(せ) (Hatsuse)
• 初(はつ)値(ね) (hatsune)
• 初(はつ)子(ね)の日(ひ) (hatsu nenohi)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
初
うい Grade: 4
kun'yomi

/uɸi/ → /uwi/ → /ui/

First attested in the Kokin Wakashū of roughly 905-914 CE, and assumed to be inherited from Old Japanese.

There is an apparently related term 初 (ubu) of overlapping synonymous meaning, first attested in the early 1000s. It is unclear how these two terms are related: one might be a derivation of the other, or the two might derive separately via other processes.

Both ui and ubu appear to be related to verb 生む (umu, “to birth”), from the sense of "first of something since one has been born".

Martin suggests that this might be a fusion of 生む (umu, “to birth”) +‎ 日 (hi, “day”), literally “birthday”. However, the meaning of any such compound would be the noun birthday with a sense of "the day a woman gives birth" rather than "the day someone is born". Also, phonologically, this would be expected to result in ubi: /umu/ + /pi/ → /umupi/ → /umpi/ → /ubi/.

Possibly cognate with 上 (ue, “above”, possibly via the sense of "upstream → earlier") or classical verb 生ふ (ancient opu, classical ofu, modern ou, “to grow”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) うい [úꜜì] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ɯ̟i]

Noun

初(うい) • (ui) ^{←うひ (ufi)?}

1. [from early 900s] a first, start

Derived terms

• 初(うい)々(うい)しい (uiuishii)
• 初(うい)の子(こ) (ui no ko)
• 初(うい)冠(こうぶり) (uikōburi, “crowning a boy for the first time at a coming-of-age ceremony”)

Prefix

初(うい) • (ui-) ^{←うひ (ufi-)?}

1. [from early 900s] the first of something

Derived terms

• 初(うい)見(げん)参(ざん) (uigenzan)
• 初(うい)子(ご) (uigo)
• 初(うい)冠(こうぶり) (uikōburi)
• 初(うい)心(ごころ) (uigokoro)
• 初(うい)事(ごと) (uigoto)
• 初(うい)琴(ごと) (uigoto)
• 初(うい)言(ごと) (uigoto)
• 初(うい)陣(じん) (uijin)
• 初(うい)立(だ)ち (uidachi)
• 初(うい)立(だ)つ (uidatsu)
• 初(うい)他(た)火(び) (uitabi)
• 初(うい)花(ばな) (uibana)
• 初(うい)奉(ぼう)公(こう) (uibōkō)
• 初(うい)枕(まくら) (uimakura)
• 初(うい)学(まな)び (uimanabi)
• 初(うい)妻(め) (uime)
• 初(うい)裳(も) (uimo)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
初
うぶ Grade: 4
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
初心

From stem up- cognate with ui (historical uhi) above. Cause of the shift in voicing is uncertain. (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) うぶ [úꜜbù] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ɯ̟bɯ̟]

Adjective

初(うぶ) • (ubu) -na (adnominal 初(うぶ)な (ubu na), adverbial 初(うぶ)に (ubu ni))

1. innocent
2. inexperienced, green

Inflection

Inflection of 初

Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	初だろ	うぶだろ	ubu daro
Continuative (連用形)	初で	うぶで	ubu de
Terminal (終止形)	初だ	うぶだ	ubu da
Attributive (連体形)	初な	うぶな	ubu na
Hypothetical (仮定形)	初なら	うぶなら	ubu nara
Imperative (命令形)	初であれ	うぶであれ	ubu de are
Key constructions
Informal negative	初ではない 初じゃない	うぶではない うぶじゃない	ubu de wa nai ubu ja nai
Informal past	初だった	うぶだった	ubu datta
Informal negative past	初ではなかった 初じゃなかった	うぶではなかった うぶじゃなかった	ubu de wa nakatta ubu ja nakatta
Formal	初です	うぶです	ubu desu
Formal negative	初ではありません 初じゃありません	うぶではありません うぶじゃありません	ubu de wa arimasen ubu ja arimasen
Formal past	初でした	うぶでした	ubu deshita
Formal negative past	初ではありませんでした 初じゃありませんでした	うぶではありませんでした うぶじゃありませんでした	ubu de wa arimasen deshita ubu ja arimasen deshita
Conjunctive	初で	うぶで	ubu de
Conditional	初なら（ば）	うぶなら（ば）	ubu nara (ba)
Provisional	初だったら	うぶだったら	ubu dattara
Volitional	初だろう	うぶだろう	ubu darō
Adverbial	初に	うぶに	ubu ni
Degree	初さ	うぶさ	ubusa

Derived terms

• 初(うぶ)い (ubui)
• 初(うぶ)刀(がたな) (ubugatana)
• 初(うぶ)声(ごえ) (ubugoe)

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
初
しょ Grade: 4
kan'on

From Middle Chinese 初 (MC tsrhjo).

Compare Min Nan 初 (chho͘).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɕo̞]

Affix

初(しょ) • (sho) 

1. beginning, start
2. first, initial

Derived terms

• 初(しょ)夏(か) (shoka)
• 初(しょ)学(がく) (shogaku)
• 初(しょ)期(き) (shoki)
• 初(しょ)級(きゅう) (shokyū)
• 初(しょ)月(げつ) (shogetsu)
• 初(しょ)見(けん) (shoken)
• 初(しょ)婚(こん) (shokon)
• 初(しょ)春(しゅん) (shoshun)
• 初(しょ)秋(しゅう) (shoshū)
• 初(しょ)心(しん) (shoshin)
• 初(しょ)速(そく)度(ど) (shosokudo)
• 初(しょ)代(だい) (shodai)
• 初(しょ)対(たい)面(めん) (shotaimen)
• 初(しょ)冬(とう) (shotō)
• 初(しょ)頭(とう) (shotō)
• 初(しょ)七日(なぬか) (shonanuka), 初(しょ)七日(なのか) (shonanoka)
• 初(しょ)乳(にゅう) (shonyū)
• 初(しょ)任(にん) (shonin)
• 初(しょ)歩(ほ) (shoho)
• 最(さい)初(しょ) (saisho)
• 太(たい)初(しょ) (taisho)
• 当(とう)初(しょ) (tōsho)
• 年(ねん)初(しょ) (nensho)

Etymology 5

Kanji in this term
初
そ(め) > ぞ(め) Grade: 4
kun'yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 初 – see the following entry.

【初ぞめ】 [suffix] for the first time, typically in the current year

(This term, 初, is an alternative spelling (uncommon) of the above term.)

Etymology 6

Kanji in this term
初
はじ(め) Grade: 4
kun'yomi

Nominalization of 始め (hajime, “beginning, first”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) はじめ [hàjímé] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ha̠ʑime̞]

Proper noun

初(はじめ) • (Hajime) 

1. a male given name

Korean

Hanja

初 (eumhun 처음 초 (cheo'eum cho))

1. hanja form^? of 초 (“beginning; start”)

Compounds

• 초등학교 (初等學校, chodeunghakgyo, “elementary school”)
• 초보자 (初步者, choboja, “beginner”)

Okinawan

Kanji

初

(Fourth grade kyōiku kanji)

Readings

• Kun: はじみ (hajimi, 初み)、はじみてぃ (hajimiti, 初みてぃ)、はち (hachi, 初)、うぃー (wī, 初)、すみゆん (sumiyun, 初みゆん)

Etymology

From Proto-Ryukyuan *patu.

Cognate with Japanese 初 (hatsu-).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [hat͡ɕi]

Prefix

初(はち) (hachi-) 

1. the first..., initial..., new...

Derived terms

• 初(はち)春(はる) (hachiharu)
• 初(はち)夏(なち) (hachinachi)
• 初(はち)七(なん)日(か) (hachinanka)
• 初(はち)物(むん) (hachimun)

Old Japanese

Etymology

From Proto-Japonic *patu.

Possible cognates include 始め (pazime, “beginning”), 僅か (patuka, “faint”), and 端 (pa, “edge of something”).

Prefix

初 (patu-) (kana はつ)

1. the first..., initial..., new...

Derived terms

• 初秋風 (patuaki₁kaze)
• 初聲 (patukowe)
• 泊瀨 (Patuse)
• 初垂り (patutari)
• 初鷹狩り (patu-to₂gari)
• 初土 (patuni)
• 初子 (patune)
• 初萩 (patupagi₂)
• 初花 (patupana)
• 初春 (patuparu)
• 初紅葉 (patu-momitiba)
• 初雪 (patuyuki₁)
• 初麻 (patuwo)
• 初尾花 (patuwobana)

Descendants

• Japanese: 初 (hatsu-)

Vietnamese

Han character

初: Hán Việt readings: sơ (楚(sở)徂(tồ)切(thiết))
初: Nôm readings: xưa, sơ, xơ, thơ, sờ

Compounds

• 初級 (sơ cấp)

Adjective

初 • (sơ, xưa)

1. chữ Hán form of sơ (“in the initial stage; primary; elementary”)
2. chữ Nôm form of xưa (“old; ancient”)

Noun

初 • (xưa)

1. chữ Nôm form of xưa (“a long time ago; old times”)