初期

• Pinyin: chū qī
• Hanzi breakdown: 初 (beginning, first) + 期 (period, phase)

Meaning

Initial stage; early period; beginning phase.

Refers to the early phase of a process, project, historical period, or development. Often contrasted with 中期 (middle period) and 后期 (later period). Common in discussions of history, business, and development.

Examples

1. 公司成立初期只有五个员工。 When the company was first established, there were only five employees.
2. 这个项目初期进展顺利，但后来遇到了困难。 This project went smoothly in the initial stage, but later encountered difficulties.
3. 改革开放初期，经济发展很快。 In the early period of reform and opening up, the economy developed rapidly.

Usage Guide

Context: history, business, development, projects

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 创业初期很艰难。(The early stage of starting a business is very hard.)
• 这是项目初期的设计方案。(This is the design plan from the early stage of the project.)

Don't Say

• 说'一天的初期'不自然——初期用于较长的时间段，如项目、历史时期，不用于一天这样短的时间 (Saying 一天的初期 is unnatural — 初期 is for longer periods like projects or eras, not a single day)

Origin & History

Compound of 初 (beginning, initial) + 期 (period, phase), indicating the starting phase.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal