English–Japanese

“for the first time” in Japanese

Japanese

Pronunciation

Romajihajimete

Example

初めて日本に行きます。haji me te nihon ni i ki ma su

I am going to Japan for the first time.

Illustration for 初めて (for the first time)

How to say “for the first time” in Japanese

“For the first time” in Japanese is 初めて (hajimete).

It marks an event as the first occurrence in someone's experience, rather than simply a recent event.

Full entry for 初めて: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 初めて

初めて料理を作りました。haji me te ryō ri o tsuku ri ma shi ta

I cooked for the first time.

Tips for using 初めて

  • 初めて (hajimete) comes before a verb, while 初めての (hajimete no) comes before a noun, as in 初めての旅行 (hajimete no ryokō).

“for the first time” in other languages