初期

• Reading: しょき
• Romaji: shoki
• Kanji breakdown: 初 (sho) — first, beginning; 期 (ki) — period, term
• Pronunciation: /ɕo.ki/

Meaning

Early days; early stages; initial period; beginning phase of something.

A noun and no-adjective referring to the earliest phase of a process, project, era, or condition. Frequently used in technical, medical, and historical contexts: 初期設定 (default settings), 初期症状 (early symptoms), 初期段階 (initial stage). The antonym is 末期 (makki, final stage/terminal).

Examples

1. このプロジェクトはまだ初期の段階にある。 This project is still in its early stages.
2. がんは初期に発見すれば治療の可能性が高い。 If cancer is caught in the early stages, the chances of treatment are high.
3. スマートフォンの初期設定を済ませた。 I finished setting up the initial settings on my smartphone.

Usage Guide

Context: technology, medicine, history

Tone: informative

Origin & History

From Chinese, combining 初 (first, beginning) and 期 (period, term). 初 depicts a knife cutting cloth — the first cut in tailoring — symbolising the start of something new.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal