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最初

zuì chū
HSK 2.0 Level 5 HSK 3.0 Level 5 Noun Common

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Definitions

  1. 1. first
  2. 2. primary
  3. 3. initial
  4. 4. original
  5. 5. at first
  6. 6. initially
  7. 7. originally

Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item
最终
zuì zhōng

final; ultimate

最初 means 'initial'; 最终 means 'final' or 'ultimate'.

Related words

1 item
起先
qǐ xiān

at first; in the beginning

起先 is another way to express 'at first', often in storytelling.

Synonyms

1 item
起初
qǐ chū

originally

Both mean 'at first' or 'initially', emphasizing the starting point.

Usage notes

Formality

最初 is used in both formal and informal contexts, but it often appears in written or formal speech.

Example Sentences

1 shown
最初 ，我不喜欢学中文。
Initially, I didn't like studying Chinese.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 最初

初
chū

at first

最
zuì

most