初め

Meanings

1. beginning; start; outset; opening
2. first (in line, etc.)
3. origin
4. such as ...; not to mention ...

Part of speech: noun, adverb

Kanji

• 初

  Meanings

  first time, beginning

  On reading

  ショ

  Kun reading

  はじ.め、はじ.めて、はつ、はつ-、うい-、-そ.める

  Strokes

  7

• 始

  Meanings

  commence, begin

  On reading

  シ

  Kun reading

  はじ.める、-はじ.める、はじ.まる

  Strokes

  8

Example sentences

• 旅行の初めの二日間は雨降りだった。

  The first two days of my trip were rainy.

  Tatoeba #162444 · CC BY 2.0 FR

• 会うは別れの始め。

  To meet is to part.

  Tatoeba #185457 · CC BY 2.0 FR

• この語学センターでは、英語をはじめ世界１５か国の外国語が学べる。

  At this language centre, about 15 international languages are taught, including English.

  Tatoeba #393887 · CC BY 2.0 FR