初

• Pinyin: chū
• Hanzi breakdown: 初 = 衤(clothing radical) + 刀 (knife), originally meaning to cut cloth as the first step in making garments

Meaning

Beginning; initial; at first. Refers to the early stage or start of something.

Used as an adverb or prefix to indicate the beginning of a period or the first occurrence. Common in phrases like 初次 (for the first time), 初恋 (first love), 年初 (beginning of the year), and 月初 (beginning of the month). Can also modify time expressions: 初春 (early spring), 初夏 (early summer).

Examples

1. 今年年初，他换了一份新工作。 At the beginning of this year, he changed to a new job.
2. 我初到这个城市的时候，什么都不熟悉。 When I first arrived in this city, everything was unfamiliar.
3. 这件事发生在本月初。 This event happened at the beginning of this month.

Usage Guide

Context: time, narrative, formal

Tone: temporal

Do Say

• 我们初次见面是在去年。(The first time we met was last year.)
• 这个项目还在初期阶段。(This project is still in its initial stage.)

Don't Say

• 初已经很晚了 (Don't use 初 alone as a time expression — combine it: 年初, 月初, 初期; saying 初 by itself is incomplete)

Origin & History

Composed of 衤(clothing) and 刀 (knife), originally meaning to cut cloth — the first step in making clothes, hence 'beginning.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal