初めて

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
初
はじ Grade: 4
kun'yomi

Alternative spellings
始めて 甫めて (rare)

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) はじめて [hàjíꜜmètè] (Nakadaka – [2])^[1][2]
• IPA^(key): [ha̠ʑime̞te̞]

Adverb

初(はじ)めて • (hajimete) 

1. for the first time, first

   彼(かれ)は初(はじ)めてアメリカに来(き)た。

   Kare wa hajimete Amerika ni kita.

   He came to America for the first time.

2. reaching a state after a certain experience; at last, finally

   親(おや)が死(し)んで、初(はじ)めてそのありがたさがわかった。

   Oya ga shinde, hajimete sono arigatasa ga wakatta.

   Only after my parents died did I realize how grateful I was.

Adverb

初(はず)めて • (hazumete) 

1. (dialectal) for the first time
   • 1984 February 15, Motoka Murakami, “修(しゅ)羅(ら)の涙(なみだ)、六(ム)三(サ)四(シ)の涙(なみだ)の巻(まき) [Shura’s Tears, Musashi’s Tears]”, in 六(ム)三(サ)四(シ)の剣(けん) [Musashi’s Sword], volume 13 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN, page 54:

     勝(か)った……はずめて修(しゅ)羅(ら)に勝(か)った！

     Katta…… hazumete Shura ni katta!

     Ah’ve done it… Ah’ve finally beaten Shura!

     (literally, “I’ve won… I’ve won over Shura for the first time!”)

Related terms

• 始(はじ)め (hajime)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
初
そ Grade: 4
kun'yomi

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) そめて [sòmété] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [so̞me̞te̞]

Verb

初(そ)めて • (somete) 

1. conjunctive of 初める

References

1. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
2. NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN