Kanji

Jōyō kanji, Taught in grade 4

JLPT level: N3

152 of 2500 most used kanji in newspapers

Stroke count: 7

Meaning: first time, beginning

Kunyomi: はじ.め はじ.めて はつ はつ- うい- -そ.める -ぞ.め

Onyomi: ショ

Composition:

Radical

Radical:

Reading: かたな

Meaning: knife, sword

Strokes: 2

Examples

Examples with audio

(さいしょ)   beginning

日(しょにち)   first day

対面(しょたいめん)   first meeting

級(しょきゅう)   elementary level

心者(しょしんしゃ)   beginner

期(しょき)   early (days)

めて(はじめて)   for the first time

めに(はじめに)   first of all

恋(はつこい)   first love

々しい(ういういしい)   innocent

なれめ(なれそめ)   start of a romance

書きめ(かきぞめ)   New Year's writing

Onyomi Examples

ショカ early summer, fourth month of the lunar calendar

ショエン first performance

ネンショ beginning of the year

ゲンショ origin, source, beginning, starting point

Kunyomi Examples

始め はじめ beginning, start, outset, opening, first (in line, etc.), origin, such as ..., not to mention ...

めて はじめて for the first time, only after ... is it ..., only when ... do you ..., not until ... do you ..., first time, (one's) first

めて はじめて for the first time, only after ... is it ..., only when ... do you ..., not until ... do you ..., first time, (one's) first

はつ first, new

しょか early summer, fourth month of the lunar calendar

業界 ぎょうかいはつ the industry's first ...

人生 じんせいはつ (for the) first time in one's life