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初 (chū) — (prefix) first, initial, elementary (as in 初次, 初级, 初春); (noun) beginning, start (as in 年初, 月初); (adverb) for the first time, at first (as in 初见, 初学)

Definition

初 means 'first / initial / early' and mostly appears as a prefix in compound words (初次, 初级, 初春) or in time phrases like 年初/月初. Use 最初 for 'the very beginning' and 开始 for the act of starting.

prefix
firstinitialelementary (as in 初次, 初级, 初春)
noun
beginningstart (as in 年初, 月初)
adverb
for the first timeat first (as in 初见, 初学)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    Nián chū wǒ men zhì dìng le yí gè jì huà.
    At the beginning of the year we made a plan.
  • 。
    Wǒ chū cì jiàn tā shí yǒu diǎn jǐn zhāng.
    I was a little nervous when I met him for the first time.
  • 初。
    chū Qiū de tiān qì hěn shū fu.
    The weather in early autumn is very comfortable.

Origin

Compound ideograph
六书liùshū
会意huìyì

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

初 combines 衤 (clothes) and 刀 (knife), showing the start of making clothes by cutting cloth.

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5Time (Abstract)3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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