初(はじ)め

はじめ
noun
beginning, start
time-general
1. beginning, start
The first part or initial stage of something.
初(はじ)めから説明(せつめい)してください。
Please explain from the beginning.
年(とし)の初(はじ)め
The beginning of the year.
初(はじ)めは難(むずか)しかったけど、だんだん分(わ)かってきた。
It was difficult at first, but I gradually came to understand.
初(はじ)めに自己紹介(じこしょうかい)をしましょう。
Let's introduce ourselves to begin with.
初(はじ)めから終(お)わりまで全部(ぜんぶ)読(よ)んだが、一番(いちばん)面白(おもしろ)かったのは最後(さいご)の部分(ぶぶん)だった。
I read the whole thing from beginning to end, but the most interesting part was the ending.

初(はじ)め means "the beginning" or "the start."

Common patterns

  • 初(はじ)めに: at first, to begin with
  • 初(はじ)めから: from the beginning
  • 初(はじ)めは: at first, initially
  • ～の初(はじ)め: the beginning of ~

Writing

The two spellings split by meaning: 初(はじ)め is the early part in time (年(とし)の初(はじ)め, 初(はじ)めは), while 始(はじ)め, from the verb 始(はじ)める, is the start of an activity or event (仕事始(しごとはじ)め, 始(はじ)めの挨拶(あいさつ)). Both appear in 初(はじ)めから and 初(はじ)めに.

Similar words

Related words

Related Words

Antonym: 終(お)わり (end)
Related: 始(はじ)める (to begin (transitive))
Related: 始(はじ)まる (to begin (intransitive))
Compare: 最初(さいしょ) (first, beginning)
Related: 始(はじ)まり (beginning, start)
core
Added 2026.1.11 18:50 · Revised 2026.10.6 16:39
02500/02931_hajime