1.
beginning, start
The first part or initial stage of something.
初めから説明してください。
Please explain from the beginning.
年の初め
The beginning of the year.
初めは難しかったけど、だんだん分かってきた。
It was difficult at first, but I gradually came to understand.
初めに自己紹介をしましょう。
Let's introduce ourselves to begin with.
初めから終わりまで全部読んだが、一番面白かったのは最後の部分だった。
I read the whole thing from beginning to end, but the most interesting part was the ending.
初め means "the beginning" or "the start."
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 初めに: at first, to begin with
- 初めから: from the beginning
- 初めは: at first, initially
- ～の初め: the beginning of ~
KANJI NOTE:
初め uses 初 (first, beginning), while the verb 始める uses 始 (commence).
OPPOSITE:
終わり: end
RELATED:
- 始める: to begin (transitive verb)
- 始まる: to begin (intransitive verb)
- 初めて: for the first time