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初

chū
adjective/prefix HSK 3 #2,706

Meanings

  1. 1 beginning
  2. 2 initial
  3. 3 first

Characters

初
chū
beginning; initial
Composed of 衤(clothing) + 刀 (knife) — the first cut of cloth to make a garment.

Examples

他们是初次见面。
Tāmen shì chūcì jiànmiàn.
It's their first time meeting.
这是我对这个城市的初印象。
Zhè shì wǒ duì zhège chéngshì de chū yìnxiàng.
This is my first impression of this city.
月初我很忙。
Yuè chū wǒ hěn máng.
I'm very busy at the beginning of the month.

Tips

usage
初 is used as a prefix for 'initial/beginning': 初级 (beginner level), 初步 (preliminary), 初恋 (first love). In dates, 月初 means 'beginning of the month', 年初 means 'beginning of the year'.
culture
In the lunar calendar, 初一 to 初十 are the first ten days of each month. 正月初一 is Chinese New Year's Day.

Stroke Order

初 chū