How to say 'First' in Japanese | 初

word

Meaning

First

Reading

Kanji

初Beginning, First

Explanation

The Japanese noun '初 (はつ)' means 'first' and is often used to refer to the first occurrence of something, such as the first time, the first event, or the beginning of a period. It carries a sense of freshness or newness. For example: this is my first time in Japan「これは私の初の日本です」(これはわたしのはつのにほんです). The first snow of the year「初雪」(はつゆき). It is commonly used in compound words to emphasize the first instance, such as '初日 (はつひ)' (first day) or '初体験 (はつたいけん)' (first experience).

Part Of Speech

noun

Kanji JLPT

Kanji Grade

Frequency

2347

Composition

kanji

Handwriting