始まり・初まり|はじまりhajimari[0]heiban (flat)

1. nounorigin; beginning; start
   始はじまりがうまければ半なかばうまくいったもおなじ。↗

   Well begun is half done.

• SynonymはじめNeutralThe opening part or early stage, also the act of starting something; 「始まり」 stresses the moment something begins or its origin, so they are not always interchangeable.
• Synonym最初さいしょNeutralThe very first or the first time, stressing first place in order; can also work adverbially. 「始まり」 stresses the moment of beginning or the origin.
• Synonym起源きげんWrittenWritten/formal: the origin or source of a thing, common in historical and academic contexts, as in 「生命の起源」; it does not refer to the moment an event starts.
• SynonymスタートNeutralLoanword for a start, e.g. in a race; takes 「する」 as a verb and carries the dynamism of setting off, as in 「新生活がスタートする」.
• Synonym開始かいしNeutralSino-Japanese word covering both an event starting and beginning a task, as in 「試合開始」 and 「作業を開始する」; feels harder than 「始まり」 and is common in written notices.
• Synonym発足ほっそくWrittenWritten/formal: the official launch of an organization, system, or movement, as in 「新内閣が発足する」; 「始まり」 applies to the start of anything.
• Synonym起点きてんWrittenWritten/formal: a starting point, stressing where a space or route begins; also figuratively the point of departure for something.
• Synonym発祥はっしょうWrittenWritten/formal: where a culture or thing originated, as in 「発祥の地」; stresses the place of origin, not the moment something starts.
• SynonymキックオフNeutralLoanword: the kickoff in football, figuratively the launch of a project or event, as in 「キックオフミーティング」.
• Synonym序の口じょのくちNeutralThe lowest sumo division; figuratively the very start of something, as in 「まだ序の口だ」 — much harder stages lie ahead.
• Synonym冒頭ぼうとうNeutralThe opening of a text, speech, or meeting, as in 「会議の冒頭」; only for content that unfolds in sequence.
• Synonym原初げんしょWrittenWritten/formal: the most primal origin, with a philosophical flavor; in daily use 「始まり」 or 「起源」 is enough.
• SynonymオリジンNeutralLoanword for origin, rarely used; say 「起源」 instead — it does not stand in for 「始まり」 in everyday speech.
• RelatedルーツNeutralLoanword for roots or ancestry, as in 「日本人のルーツ」; stresses one's bloodline or cultural origins.
• Related入り口いりぐちNeutralLiterally an entrance; figuratively the way into a field, as in 「研究の入り口」 — the first step into an area.
• Related幕開けまくあけWrittenWritten/formal: raising the curtain, mostly figurative for the start of an era or event, as in 「新時代の幕開け」; more ceremonial than 「始まり」.
• Related起こりおこりNeutralThe cause or beginning of something, as in 「事の起こり」; looks back at what set it off.
• RelatedはじめNeutralThe opening part or early stage, also the act of starting something; 「始まり」 stresses the moment something begins or its origin, so they are not always interchangeable.
• Related発端ほったんWrittenWritten/formal: the outset or trigger of an event, as in 「事件の発端」; used mainly for incidents and disputes.
• Related根源こんげんNeutralThe root or underlying cause, stressing essence, as in 「諸悪の根源」; 「始まり」 marks a point in time.
• Related振り出しふりだしNeutralA starting point, mostly in 「振り出しに戻る」, going back to square one; also means drawing a bill of exchange.
• Related源みなもとWrittenWritten/literary: the source of a river or the root of a thing; stresses where something comes from, not when it starts.
• Related当初とうしょWrittenWritten/formal: at first, initially; usually adverbial or with 「の」, as in 「当初の予定」, often contrasted with what came later.
• Related出だしでだしCasualColloquial: the opening part or early stage, as in 「出だしは好調」; also the opening of a song.
• Related滑り出しすべりだしNeutralHow something gets off the ground, as in 「滑り出しは順調」; stresses whether the start goes well, not origins.
• Related幕開きまくあきWrittenWritten/formal: the curtain rising, figuratively the dawn of a new era; today 「幕開け」 is the more common form.
• Antonym終わりおわりNeutralAntonym: the end or close, opposite to 「始まり」 in time, as in 「始まりと終わり」.
• Antonym結末けつまつWrittenAntonym, written/formal: the ending or outcome of a story or event, stressing the final result; the counterpart of 「始まり」 for stories and events.

Use 「始まり」 for the moment something begins or its origin. Say 「始め」 for the opening part, 「最初」 for the first in order, and 「開始」 for the start of an action or procedure. For origins, 「起源」 is the standard choice, and 「幕開け」 suits the dawn of an era. Loanwords 「スタート」 and 「キックオフ」 add a dynamic or project feel; 「ルーツ」 covers ancestry; colloquial 「出だし」 is for how something opens. In formal prose you will meet 「発足」, 「発祥」, 「発端」, and 「当初」. The antonyms are 「終わり」 and 「結末」.

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

1. 動詞どうし「はじまる」の連用形れんようけい。
2. 始はじまること。はじまる時とき。
3. （感動詞かんどうし的てきに開始かいしの知しらせを告つげて）今いまから始はじまるよ。
4. 物事ものごとの起おこり。発端ほったん。