Korean word

애초

Pronunciation

Romanizationaecho

Meaning

  • adverbin the first place

Example

애초에 그렇게 하지 말았어야 했다.ae cho e keu reo ke ha ji ma ra sseo ya haet tta

You shouldn't have done that in the first place.

Illustration for 애초 (in the first place)

More examples

나는 애초부터 그 계획에 반대했다.na neun ae cho bu teo keu kye hoe ge pan dae haet tta

I opposed the plan from the outset.

Core concept

The first state of a situation, treated as the point that determines what follows.

Common phrases

  • 애초부터ae cho bu teo

    from the outset

Similar words

처음부터cheoeumbuteo: An existing state has continued from the moment an event began.
원래wollae: An original quality or condition has been true since the beginning.
애당초aedangcho: An idea or possibility did not exist from the very beginning.

Definition in Korean

처음부터 그랬거나 그렇게 되어 있음을 지적할 때 쓰는 부사.cheo eum bu teo keu raet kkeo na keu reo ke toe eo i sseu meul chi jeo kal ttae sseu neun pu sa

Word origin

Its precise origin is uncertain, but its established meaning is tied to the beginning of a situation and what was already true then.

Usage tips

  • This word helps connect a present conclusion to the conditions or choice at the very beginning, not only to a past time.

Other meanings

  • originallyadverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word