Usage note
初表示开始、最初。
chū biǎo shì kāi shǐ 、 zuì chū。
初 means beginning or initial.
Context note
初常用于时间、阶段和书面语。
chū cháng yòng yú shí jiān 、 jiē duàn hé shū miàn yǔ。
It is often used for time, stages, and formal language.
5 examples
初春很暖和。
chū chūn hěn nuǎn huo。
Early spring is warm.
初次见面，请多关照。
chū cì jiàn miàn， qǐng duō guān zhào。
Nice to meet you for the first time, please take care of me.
初学中文很有意思。
chū xué zhōng wén hěn yǒu yì sī。
Learning Chinese at the beginning is interesting.
初中生活很忙。
chū zhōng shēng huó hěn máng。
Junior high school life is busy.
初步计划已经做好。
chū bù jì huà yǐ jīng zuò hǎo。
The preliminary plan is already done.
5 mini stories
他在初学阶段很认真。
tā zài chū xué jiē duàn hěn rèn zhēn。
He was very serious in the beginner stage.
初次比赛时，她有点紧张。
chū cì bǐ sài shí， tā yǒu diǎn jǐn zhāng。
She was a little nervous at her first competition.
初春的天气很好。
chū chūn de tiān qì hěn hǎo。
The weather in early spring is good.
老师说初学者要慢慢来。
lǎo shī shuō chū xué zhě yào màn màn lái。
The teacher said beginners should take it slowly.
初见时，他们都很害羞。
chū jiàn shí， tā men dōu hěn hài xiū。
When they first met, they were both shy.
Mini dialogue
初学
A
你学中文多久了？
Nǐ xué Zhōngwén duōjiǔ le?
How long have you been learning Chinese?
B
我初学，才一个月。
Wǒ chū xué, cái yī gè yuè.
I'm a beginner, only one month.
初春
A
初春的天气真舒服。
Chūchūn de tiānqì zhēn shūfu.
The weather in early spring is so comfortable.
B
是啊，花也初开了。
Shì a, huā yě chū kāi le.
Yes, the flowers have just begun to bloom too.
Related words and contrasts
similar
始
shǐ
to start; beginning
Often used in formal words like 开始 (to begin).
opposite
末
mò
end; final
初 means beginning, 末 means the very end.
opposite
终
zhōng
end; finish
Another opposite, meaning the end of something.