初

chū

ch+ū·1st tone

(bound form) at first; initially

Radical: 刀 Strokes: 7 HSK 3

Structure: Left-rightFrequency: Common

Same radical

分刀切争免剪券刃劈刍刁

Same radical

分刀切争免剪券刃劈刍刁

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Character Decomposition

初=衤+刀

Etymology

Cutting 刀 the cloth 衤 is the first step in making clothes

Meanings

(bound form) at first; initially

(bound form) first; early

(bound form) (in lunar calendar dates, before numerals 1–10) days 1 to 10 of a month, as in 初三 chū sān "the third"

chū

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Words with 初 151 total

initial · preliminary · tentative初步chū bù startup (company, phase etc); newly established初创chū chuàng for the first time · first (meeting, attempt etc)初次chū cì elementary (i.e. easy)初等chū děng early winter初冬chū dōng first offender · first offense初犯chū fàn the first of the three annual periods of hot weather (三伏 sān fú), which typically begins in mid-July and lasts 10 days初伏chū fú first draft (of writing)初稿chū gǎo first of the five night watch periods 19:00-21:00 (old)初更chū gēng at the outset · at first · early开初kāi chū beginning of the year年初nián chū originally; at first; at the outset起初qǐ chū (literary) former times · in olden days往初wǎng chū initial · original · originally · at first原初yuán chū the absolute beginning太初tài chū start of month · early in the month月初yuè chū first · primary · initial · original · at first · initially · originally最初zuì chū first year in junior middle school · first day of a lunar month初一chū yī third year in junior middle school · third day of a lunar month初三chū sān junior high school (abbr. for chū jí zhōng xué)初中chū zhōng second year in junior middle school · second day of a lunar month初二chū èr to make a preliminary estimate初估chū gū rising (sun, moon etc)初升chū shēng early summer初夏chū xià

Idioms with 初 28 total Chain

venturing from one's thatched hut for the first time (idiom) · young and inexperienced · novice · greenhorn初出茅庐chū chū máo lú first sign of budding talent · to display one's ability for the first time初露锋芒chū lù fēng máng lit. to first show one's horns (idiom); fig. a first show of emerging talent · first sign of emerging talent · budding genius初露头角chū lù tóu jiǎo lit. newborn calves do not fear tigers (idiom) · fig. the young are fearless初生牛犊不怕虎chū shēng niú dú bù pà hǔ

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