始 (shǐ) — beginning, start (bound form, used in compounds); (literary) only then; not until
Definition
A literary bound form meaning 'beginning' (始终 from start to finish, 开始 to begin) and the concessive 'only then / not until' (如不…，始…). Almost never used alone — pair it with these fixed compounds.
bound form
beginningstart (bound form, used in compounds)(literary) only thennot until
Examples
- 。Tā shǐ zhōng bǎo chí zhe wēi xiào.He kept a smile from start to finish.
- 。Zhè ge gù shi cóng kāi shǐ dào jié wěi dōu hěn jīng cǎi.This story is wonderful from the beginning to the end.
- 。Zhè xiàng chuán tǒng shǐ yú táng dài.This tradition originated in the Tang dynasty.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
始 is made of 女 (woman) and 台, which gives the sound.
Appears in
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