最初

Chinese
(the) most; ‑est
 
initial; first; beginning
initial; first; beginning; junior; basic
trad. (最初) 最 初
simp. #(最初) 最 初

Pronunciation

Noun

最初

  1. beginning; outset; start

Adjective

最初

  1. initial; first

Adverb

最初

  1. initially; originally

Synonyms

Descendants
Sino-Xenic (最初):
  • → Japanese: 最初(さいしょ) (saisho)
  • → Korean: 최초(最初) (choecho)
  • → Vietnamese: tối sơ (最初)

Japanese
Kanji in this term
最 初
さい
Grade: 4		 しょ
Grade: 4
on’yomi

Etymology

最 (sai-, “most”) +‎ 初 (sho, “new, first”)

Pronunciation
  • (Tokyo) さいしょ [sàíshó] (Heiban – [0])[1]
  • IPA(key): [sa̠iɕo̞]

Adverb

最(さい)初(しょ) • (saisho) 

  1. firstly

Noun

最(さい)初(しょ) • (saisho) 

  1. first, the beginning, the start
    • 1912, 夏目漱石, 行人:
      自分(じぶん)は最初(さいしょ)その横顔(よこがお)を見(み)た時(とき)、これが病人(びょうにん)の顔(かお)だろうかと疑(うたが)った。
      Jibun wa saisho sono yokogao o mita toki, kore ga byōnin no kao darō ka to utagatta.
      When I first saw the face in profile, I suspected that it might be the face of a sick person.
    • 1914, 島田清次郎, 若芽:
      これが若(わか)い文士(ぶんし)が父(ちち)を見(み)ての最初(さいしょ)の言葉(ことば)であつた。
      Kore ga wakai bunshi ga chichi o mite no saisho no kotoba de atsuta.
      These were the first words that the man of letters uttered upon seeing his father.
    • 1914, 夏目漱石, こころ:
      彼(かれ)の自白(じはく)は最初(さいしょ)から最後(さいご)まで同(おな)じ調子(ちょうし)で貫(つらぬ)いていました。
      Kare no jihaku wa saisho kara saigo made onaji chōshi de tsuranuite imashita.
      He stuck to the same tone in his confession from beginning to end.

Antonyms

Derived terms
  • 最初(さいしょ)に (saishoni, “firstly”)

References
  1. Hirayama, Teruo, editor (1960), 全国アクセント辞典 (Zenkoku Akusento Jiten, “Nationwide Accent Dictionary”) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Tōkyōdō, →ISBN

Korean
Hanja in this term
最初

Noun

最初 • (choecho) (hangeul 최초)

  1. Hanja form? of 최초 (“the first”).

Vietnamese
chữ Hán Nôm in this term
最初

Noun

最初

  1. chữ Hán form of tối sơ (“beginning; initial; first”).
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