起初

Chinese

		to rise; to raise; to get up	initial; first; beginning initial; first; beginning; junior; basic
trad. (起初)		起	初
simp. #(起初)		起	初
anagram		初起

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): qǐchū

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧˇ ㄔㄨ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): hei² co¹

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): hí-chhû

  (Meixian, Guangdong): hi³ ci¹

• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): khí-chho͘ / khí-chhe / khí-chhoe

  (Teochew, Peng'im): ki² co¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: qǐchū
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧˇ ㄔㄨ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: cǐchu
    • Wade–Giles: chʻi³-chʻu¹
    • Yale: chǐ-chū
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chiichu
    • Palladius: цичу (ciču)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: hei² co¹
    • Yale: héi chō
    • Cantonese Pinyin: hei² tso¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: héi² co¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hei̯³⁵ t͡sʰɔː⁵⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: hí-chhû
    • Hakka Romanization System: hi` cu´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: hi³ cu¹
    • Sinological IPA: /hi³¹ t͡sʰu²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: hi³ ci¹
    • Sinological IPA: /hi³¹ t͡sʰz̩⁴⁴/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khí-chho͘
    • Tâi-lô: khí-tshoo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qyzhof
    • IPA (Xiamen, Taipei): /kʰi⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sʰɔ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kʰi⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ t͡sʰɔ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kʰi⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ t͡sʰɔ³³/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khí-chhe
    • Tâi-lô: khí-tshe
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qyzhef
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /kʰi⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sʰe⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khí-chhoe
    • Tâi-lô: khí-tshue
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qyzhoef
    • IPA (Taipei): /kʰi⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sʰue⁴⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: ki² co¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: khí tsho
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰi⁵²⁻³⁵ t͡sʰo³³/

Adverb

起初

1. at first; initially; in the beginning; originally; at the outset
   • The Bible, Genesis 1:1

     起初神創造天地。 [MSC, trad.]
     起初神创造天地。 [MSC, simp.]

     Qǐchū Shén chuàngzào tiāndì. [Pinyin]

     In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Synonyms

• 一插手兒／一插手儿 (yīchāshǒur) (Beijing Mandarin)
• 一開始／一开始 (yīkāishǐ)
• 上頭仔／上头仔 (Hokkien)
• 乍出猛兒／乍出猛儿 (zhàchūměngr) (Beijing Mandarin)
• 先前 (¹xi-xxi) (Wu)
• 先頭／先头 (Wu)
• 最初 (zuìchū)
• 初初 (co¹ co¹) (Cantonese, Hakka, Hokkien)
• 劈頭／劈头 (pītóu)
• 原 (yuán)
• 原來／原来 (yuánlái)
• 原先 (yuánxiān)
• 原初 (yuánchū)
• 原底 (Hokkien, chiefly Cantonese, Teochew, chiefly Cantonese)
• 原旦 (Hakka)
• 原本 (yuánběn)
• 原本榻裡／原本榻里 (³nyyoe-pen-thaq-li) (Wu)
• 在本 (Hokkien)
• 始初 (shǐchū) (literary)
• 寢頭／寝头 (Hokkien)
• 就跟兒／就跟儿 (jiùgēnr) (Beijing Mandarin)
• 早先 (²tsau-xi) (Wu)
• 本來／本来 (běnlái)
• 本則來／本则来 (²pen-tseq-le) (Wu, dated)
• 本底 (Hokkien)
• 本底子 (²pen-ti-tsr) (Wu, dated)
• 本成 (Hokkien)
• 本然 (Hokkien)
• 本生 (²pen-san) (Wu)
• 當初／当初 (dāngchū)
• 當初時／当初时 (Hokkien)
• 當原初／当原初 (Quanzhou Hokkien, Xiamen Hokkien)
• 自本 (Hokkien)
• 舊底／旧底 (Hokkien)
• 起先 (qǐxiān)
• 起始 (qǐshǐ)
• 起手 (qǐshǒu)
• 起頭／起头 (qǐtóu)
• 起首 (qǐshǒu) (literary, or Guangzhou Cantonese)
• 開先／开先 (kai¹ sienn¹) (Xiang)
• 開初／开初 (kāichū)
• 頭仔／头仔 (Hokkien)
• 頭起先／头起先 (Hokkien)
• 頭頭／头头 (Cantonese, Eastern Min, Hokkien)

 

Antonyms

• 最後／最后 (zuìhòu)