初頭(しょとう)

しょとう
noun
beginning of a period
1. beginning, early part (of a period)
The opening phase of a time period such as a century, decade, year, or month. Typically attaches to a time word to specify the early portion.
20世紀(せいき)初頭(しょとう)のことだ。
It was at the beginning of the 20th century.
2000年代(ねんだい)初頭(しょとう)にインターネットが急速(きゅうそく)に普及(ふきゅう)した。
The internet spread rapidly in the early 2000s.
明治(めいじ)時代(じだい)初頭(しょとう)に日本(にほん)は近代化(きんだいか)への道(みち)を歩(あゆ)み始(はじ)めた。
At the beginning of the Meiji era, Japan started on the path to modernization.

初頭(しょとう) means the beginning or early part of a time period. Composed of 初(しょ) (first, beginning) + 頭(とう) (head). Almost always follows a time-period noun.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 世紀(せいき)初頭(しょとう): beginning of a century
  • 年代(ねんだい)初頭(しょとう): beginning of a decade
  • 年(ねん)初頭(しょとう): beginning of the year
  • 21世紀(せいき)初頭(しょとう): early 21st century
  • 2000年代(ねんだい)初頭(しょとう): early 2000s

REGISTER:
Used in written and formal contexts — news, academic writing, history. Rarely used in casual conversation.

TIME PERIOD TERMS:

  • 初頭(しょとう): beginning (formal)
  • 中頃(なかごろ): middle
  • 後半(こうはん): latter half
  • 末(まつ)/末期(まっき): end

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 冒頭(ぼうとう): opening, beginning (of a speech, book, etc. — not time periods)
  • 当初(とうしょ): initially, at first
general
Added 2026.2.18 23:00 · Revised 2026.3.27 23:29
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