初|はつhatsu[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. no-adjective, noun (prefix), noun (suffix)first; new
   彼かれらはエベレストに初はつ登頂とうちょうした。↗

   They made first ascent of Mount Everest.

• Synonym新しいあたらしいNeutralThe all-purpose word for something new; 「初」 highlights that something happens for the first time, as in the prefixes 「初雪」 and 「初登場」.
• Synonym新たあらたNeutralSuggests something fresh or a fresh start, as in 「新たな一歩」; 「初」 centers on the fact that it is the first time.
• Synonym真新しいまあたらしいNeutralBrand-new, just made or just come into being, as in 「真新しい制服」 or 「真新しい傷」; 「初」 stresses a first experience rather than newness.
• Synonym新規しんきNeutralCovers newly established things and new customers, with a business flavor; 「初」 simply marks something as the first of its kind.
• Synonym新しんNeutralA prefix for new versions or models, as in 「新製品」; the prefix 「初」 instead marks the first instance, as in 「初恋」.
• Related新鮮しんせんNeutralDescribes freshness, mostly of food or of one's impressions; 「初」 instead stresses that something is happening for the first time.
• Related目新しいめあたらしいNeutralMeans novel in the sense of catching the eye, something rarely seen; 「初」 focuses on a first appearance or occurrence.
• Related清新せいしんWrittenBelongs to written prose; describes a fresh, refreshing quality with a positive tone; 「初」 stresses being the first.
• Related斬新ざんしんNeutralPraises bold originality in design or ideas, as in 「斬新なデザイン」; 「初」 only marks a first time.
• Related新奇しんきWrittenA written-prose word for the novel and unfamiliar; 「初」 stresses a first experience.
• Related初々しいういういしいNeutralDescribes youthful innocence and untouched purity in a person; 「初」 marks first appearances and first times.
• RelatedフレッシュNeutralA loanword for freshness and youthful energy, as in 「フレッシュマン」.
• Related新式しんしきNeutralRefers to a new style or format, as in 「新式の機械」; 「初」 stresses the first occurrence.
• Related第一だいいちNeutralRanks something first or foremost, about order and importance; 「初」 is about being first in time.
• Related生新しいなまあたらしいNeutralMeans brand-new to the point of gleaming, but is rarely used; 「真新しい」 is the usual choice.
• Antonym終わりおわりNeutralThe end or close of something, as in 「終わりの日」; it stands opposite to 「初」, which marks a first beginning.
• Antonym末すえNeutralThe tail end of something, as in the end of a month or year; it stands opposite to 「初」, the very beginning.
• Antonym終ついNeutralA one-character writing of 「終わり」; it means the end, as in 「終わりの日」, opposite to the first-time 「初」.

Use 「初」 for first times and first occurrences, usually as a prefix: 「初雪」, 「初恋」. For plain newness say 「新しい」; for a fresh start 「新た」; for freshness of food or impressions 「新鮮」; for brand-new things 「真新しい」; for bold, original design 「斬新」; for innocence and inexperience 「うぶ」; for the end of something 「終わり」, and for the tail of a period 「末」. 「新規」 suits business contexts, 「新」 prefixes new versions, 「第一」 ranks by order or importance, and the rest describe particular shades of novelty.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. はじめ。はじまって間まもない時期じき。
2. 第だい一回いちかい。
3. ある期間きかんのなかで最もっとも先さき。