初一

chūyī

noun HSK 3 #31,491

Meanings

1 first year of junior high school (7th grade)
2 first day of a lunar month

Characters

beginning; first; initial

初 (beginning) + 一 (one) = first stage / first day.

Examples

我弟弟今年上初一。

Wǒ dìdi jīnnián shàng chūyī.

My younger brother is in the first year of junior high this year.

大年初一要拜年。

Dànián chūyī yào bàinián.

On Lunar New Year's Day you should pay New Year visits.

初一的课不太难。

Chūyī de kè bú tài nán.

The classes in first-year junior high aren't too hard.

Tips

culture

大年初一 is the first day of Chinese New Year, the most important day of the Spring Festival. Families gather, eat dumplings, and give red envelopes (红包).

usage

Chinese middle school (初中) has three years: 初一, 初二, 初三. High school (高中) follows the same pattern: 高一, 高二, 高三.

Stroke Order

初 chū

一 yī