最初

zuìchū

adverb HSK 4 #4,136

Meanings

HSK 3

最初，我不想去，后来改变了主意。

Zuìchū, wǒ bù xiǎng qù, hòulái gǎibiàn le zhǔyì.

Initially, I didn't want to go, but later I changed my mind.

HSK 3

这家公司最初只有几名员工。

Zhè jiā gōngsī zuìchū zhǐ yǒu jǐ míng yuángōng.

This company originally had only a few employees.

HSK 5

他的最初想法是开一家餐厅。

Tā de zuìchū xiǎngfǎ shì kāi yījiā cāntīng.

His original idea was to open a restaurant.

usage

最初 (at first/initially) vs 最后 (zuìhòu, finally/in the end). They are natural opposites and often appear in the same narrative.

最 zuì

初 chū