English–Chinese
“at first” in Chinese
How to say “at first” in Chinese
“At first” in Chinese is 初 (chū).
The first stage of an action or situation, before it has fully developed.
Example sentences with 初
最初我以为他不会来。zuì chū wǒ yǐ wéi tā bú huì lái
At first, I thought he would not come.
Tips for using 初
- English first often identifies an item in a sequence, while this word more often frames a situation at its starting point, especially in formal speech and writing.
Other Chinese words for “at first”
最初我有点害怕。zuì chū wǒ yóu diǎn hài pà
At first, I was a little afraid.
起初我不相信他。qǐ chū wǒ bù xiāng xìn tā
At first, I didn't believe him.