1.
from the beginning; from the start; from the outset
Starting from the very beginning of something. Can indicate either a temporal starting point or that something was the case all along.
初めからやり直す。
To start over from the beginning.
初めから無理だと分かっていた。
I knew from the start that it was impossible.
この映画は初めから最後まで目が離せなかった。
I couldn't take my eyes off this movie from beginning to end.
A common adverbial phrase combining 初め (beginning) with the particle から (from). Used to emphasize that something applies from the very start — whether redoing a task, or expressing that a situation was true all along.
USAGE:
Often implies emphasis or mild frustration — '初めから言ってよ' (you should have said so from the start). Also used neutrally to describe starting a process from step one.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 初めからやり直す — to redo from scratch
- 初めから終わりまで — from start to finish
- 初めから分かっていた — knew all along
- 初めから無理だった — it was impossible from the start
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 最初から — from the very first; slightly more formal and emphatic
- もともと — originally, from the beginning; emphasizes an inherent quality
- 元から — from the original point; similar to もともと