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Kanji Detail for 初 - "first, initial, new"

初

  • Meaning

    初 means "first, initial, new."

    1. First - The beginning; the earliest.

    2. Initial - The starting point.

    3. New - Fresh; just begun.

  • Words using 初

    • 当初 とうしょ Listen beginning; start; outset
    • 最初 さいしょ Listen beginning; outset; first
    • 初日 しょにち Listen first day; opening day
    • 初代 しょだい Listen first generation; founder
    • 初戦 しょせん Listen first match (in a series)
    • 初期 しょき Listen early days; early years; early stages
    • 初旬 しょじゅん Listen first 10 days of the month
    • 初演 しょえん Listen first performance; premiere

  • Four-character idioms with 初

    • 初志貫徹 しょしかんてつ Listen carrying out one's original intention

  • Tattoo check: 初

    • Verified meaning: first, initial, new
    • Official Jōyō kanji — a standard character every Japanese reader recognises
    • Used in real Japanese given names (read うい, うぶ, しよ, はじめ)

    A single kanji rarely maps one-to-one onto an English word. Read the meanings and associations above as a set — a character that fits the dictionary definition can still carry a connotation you did not intend.

  • Name readings of 初

    Given names 初(うい)Listen 初(うぶ)Listen 初(はじめ)Listen 初(はつ)Listen 初(はつみ)Listen

    Surnames 初(しよ)Listen 初(はつざき)Listen

  • Dictionary Citations

    The meaning above is based on the following sources:

    KANJIDIC2 A comprehensive Japanese-English kanji dictionary

    first time; beginning

    Unihan Unicode Han Database for CJK characters

    beginning, initial, primary

    CC-CEDICT A Chinese-English dictionary

    at first; (at the) beginning; first; junior; basic

    Make Me a Hanzi Open-source Chinese character data

    beginning, initial, primary

    XSZD Xuéshēng Zìdiǎn (學生字典) - Student's Dictionary

    Beginning.

  • Onyomi

    tip

    sho(ショ) ショ

  • Kunyomi

    tip

    haji.mete(はじ-めて) はじ-めて

    hajime(はじ-め) はじ-め

    hatsu(はつ) はつ

    so.meru(そ-める) そ-める

    u.i(うい) うい

    zo.me(ぞ-め) ぞ-め

  • Strokes

    tip

    7 strokes

  • Radical

    tip

    刀 刂 (katana・ritto)

  • Related Keywords

    first initial new beginning fresh debut earliest elementary inaugural maiden original opening primary novice

Sentences including 初

  • I went skiing for the first time this winter.

  • I watched the game from beginning to end.

  • First come , first served.

  • Do you remember the day when we first met?

  • No one believed me at first.

  • At first , i thought they were sick.

  • That's news to me.

  • Why don't you carry out what you've set out to do?

  • It was not until i heard him speak that i recognized him.

  • Our plan went wrong from the beginning.

Sentences from Japanese classical masterpieces

More kanji with the radical 刀 刂 (katana・ritto)

See all kanji with this radical →

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