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How to say 'First love' in Japanese | 初恋

Wondering how to say 'First love' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for First love is 'Hatsukoi', written as 初恋 in Japanese.'First love' in hiragana is はつこい.

    word

    初恋

    Meaning

    First love

    Reading

    はつこい

    hatsukoi

    Kanji

    Beginning, First Love, Romance

    Explanation

    The Japanese noun '初恋 (はつこい)' refers to a person's 'first love'. This term is often used to describe the nostalgic and sentimental feelings associated with one's first romantic experience. It carries a sense of innocence and purity, and is commonly used in literature, music, and everyday conversation to evoke emotions related to young love. For example: My first love was in high school「私の初恋は高校時代でした」(わたしのはつこいはいこうこうじだいでした). I still remember my first love「今でも初恋を覚えています」(いまでもはつこいをおぼえています). The word is often used in a reflective or poetic context, emphasizing the emotional impact of that first romantic experience.

    Part Of Speech

    noun

    Kanji JLPT

    N2

    Kanji Grade

    7

    Frequency

    7124

    Composition

    kanji

    Handwriting

Kanji in the Word 初恋

This word contains 2 kanji characters:

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Beginning, First

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Love, Romance

Words Related to 初恋 Through the Kanji

These 14 Words contain the Kanji 初 as well.

  • word

    最初

    Meaning

    Beginning

  • word

    初めて

    Meaning

    First

  • word

    初め

    Meaning

    Beginning

  • word

    初期

    Meaning

    Early, Initial

  • word

    当初

    Meaning

    Beginning

  • word

    Meaning

    First

  • word

    初日

    Meaning

    First day

  • word

    初歩

    Meaning

    Basics

  • word

    初夏

    Meaning

    Early summer

  • word

    初心

    Meaning

    Beginner

  • word

    初級

    Meaning

    Beginner

  • word

    月初め

    Meaning

    Start

  • word

    初代

    Meaning

    First generation

  • word

    初詣で

    Meaning

    First shrine visit

Words Related to 初恋 Through the Kanji

These 5 Words contain the Kanji 恋 as well.

  • word

    Meaning

    Love

  • word

    恋人

    Meaning

    Lover

  • word

    失恋

    Meaning

    Heartbreak

  • word

    恋する

    Meaning

    Love

  • word

    恋愛

    Meaning

    Love, Romance

Learn the Word 初恋

Let's make sure you fully understand this word.

What does 'Hatsukoi' (初恋) mean?

'Hatsukoi' means 'First love' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.