HSK · Level 9
135 words
Chinese word
初
Pronunciation
Pinyinchū
Meaning
- adverbat first
Example
我初到北京时很紧张。wǒ chū dào běi jīng shí hěn jǐn zhāng
When I first arrived in Beijing, I was very nervous.
More examples
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.
Core concept
The first stage of an action or situation, before it has fully developed.
Common phrases
最初zuì chū
at first
初次chū cì
for the first time
Similar words
刚开始gāng kāi shǐ: At the moment an action or situation has just begun.
一开始yì kāi shǐ: At the beginning of an action or event, without focusing on how long ago it started.
刚刚gāng gāng: Only a moment or short while ago.
最初zuì chū: At the first point or stage of a situation, before later developments.
Definition in Chinese
表示顺序或时间上的第一，作副词时置于动词前表示动作处于开始阶段，亦常作前缀构成词语，如“初期”“初心”“初次”。biǎo shì shùn xù huò shí jiān shàng de dì yī zuò fù cí shí zhì yú dòng cí qián biǎo shì dòng zuò chǔ yú kāi shǐ jiē duàn yì cháng zuò qián zhuì gòu chéng cí yǔ rú chū qī chū xīn chū cì
Word origin
初 (chū, "beginning") combines 衣 (yī, "clothing") and 刀 (dāo, "knife"), recalling the first cut made when cloth is shaped into a garment.
Usage tips
- 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.