首次

• Pinyin: shǒu cì
• Hanzi breakdown: 首 = head, first; 次 = time, occurrence — first time

Meaning

For the first time; first-ever. Emphasizes that something is happening or being done for the very first time.

A formal expression often used in news reports, official announcements, and written contexts. Synonymous with 第一次 but carries a more formal, often historic or commemorative tone. Commonly appears in phrases like 首次亮相 (debut), 首次访问 (first visit), 首次公开发行 (IPO). Distinguished from 初次 which is slightly more casual.

Examples

1. 这位年轻导演首次获得国际电影节大奖。 This young director won a major international film festival award for the first time.
2. 公司首次公开发行股票筹集了大量资金。 The company raised a large amount of capital through its first public stock offering.
3. 航天员首次在太空中完成了出舱行走。 The astronaut completed a spacewalk for the first time.

Usage Guide

Context: news, official, academic

Tone: commemorative

Do Say

• 这是我首次来到北京。(This is my first time in Beijing.)
• 她首次参加马拉松就跑进了四小时。(She finished under four hours in her first marathon.)

Don't Say

• 口语中说'首次吃火锅'显得太正式 (Saying 首次吃火锅 sounds overly formal in casual speech — use 第一次 instead)

Origin & History

Compound of 首 (first, head) + 次 (time, occurrence). Together meaning the first time or occasion.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Educated