初

beginning

JLPT N3 Grade 4 7 strokes

Kun'yomi: はじ.め・はじ.めて・はつ・はつ-
On'yomi: ショ

初 means "beginning". It is a JLPT N3 kanji written in 7 strokes. It is read はじ.め・はじ.めて・はつ・はつ- in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and ショ in compounds (on'yomi). Japanese schoolchildren learn it in grade 4.

初 in example sentences

初はじめまして。

Hajimemashite.

Nice to meet you.
それは初耳はつみみだ。

Sore wa hatsumimi da.

It's news to me.
これは初耳はつみみだ。

Kore wa hatsumimi da.

What a revelation!

Example sentences from the Tatoeba Project, licensed CC-BY 2.0 FR.

Stroke order & writing

Want more? Practice writing from memory. Stroke-order and animation sources are on our credits page.

Words that use 初

Common questions

What does the kanji 初 mean?: 初 means "beginning". It is a JLPT N3 kanji.
How many strokes does 初 have?: 初 is written in 7 strokes.
How is 初 read?: It is read はじ.め・はじ.めて・はつ・はつ- in native Japanese words (kun'yomi) and ショ in compounds (on'yomi).
What JLPT level is 初?: 初 is a JLPT N3 kanji.

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