1.
from the start; from the very beginning
A set phrase meaning from the beginning of something, often emphasizing that a condition or situation has been true from the outset, or used to indicate starting over from the beginning.
最初からやり直す。
To start over from the beginning.
A set phrase combining 最初 (the beginning, first) + から (from). Used to indicate that something has been true since the very beginning, or that an action is being restarted from the beginning.
Common collocations
- 最初からやり直す: to start over from the beginning
- 最初から知っていた: to have known from the start
- 最初から無理: impossible from the start
- 最初からそのつもり: to have intended it from the beginning
- 最初から最後まで: from beginning to end
Similar words
- 初めから: from the beginning — nearly synonymous; slightly more casual/spoken
- 一から: from scratch — emphasizes starting over completely, often without relying on any previous work
- 最初に: at first; initially — indicates a point in time, not a continuous state
Usage
Often used emotionally to express that something was obvious or decided early on, as in 最初からそう言ってよ ("You should have said that from the start!"). When paired with verbs like やり直す, it means to redo from scratch.
Related Words
Compare:
初めから (from the beginning)
Compare:
最初 (at first)
Compare:
途中から (from partway through)