English–Japanese
“at first” in Japanese
Japanese
Pronunciation
Romajitōsho
Example
当初は問題ありませんでした。tō sho wa mon dai a ri ma se n de shi ta
At first, there were no problems.
How to say “at first” in Japanese
“At first” in Japanese is 当初 (tōsho).
Points to the beginning stage of an event or situation before later developments occur.
Example sentences with 当初
当初は反対していた人も、後で賛成しました。tō sho wa han tai shi te i ta hito mo ato de san sei shi ma shi ta
Even people who opposed it at first agreed later.
Tips for using 当初
- In everyday conversation, speakers often use 最初 (saisho) instead of 当初 (tōsho), while 当初 sounds more formal and is common in explanations of how a situation changed.