Chinese–EnglishWith examples

最初

zuì chū · zui chu

Same in simplified and traditional Chinese

HSK 4Old HSK 5

Meaning

CC-CEDICT
  1. first
  2. primary
  3. initial
  4. original
  5. at first
  6. initially
  7. originally
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In a conversation

0:19 cartoon

Learning chopsticks

  1. Leon

    我(wǒ)最初(zuìchū)来(lái)中国(zhōngguó)的(de)时候(shíhou)，不会(bùhuì)用(yòng)筷子(kuàizi)。

    When I first came to China, I couldn't use chopsticks.

  2. Liangliang

    我(wǒ)记得(jìde)，你(nǐ)最初(zuìchū)连(lián)花生(huāshēng)都(dōu)夹不起来(jiābùqǐlai)。

    I remember, at first you couldn't even pick up a peanut.

  3. Leon

    现在(xiànzài)我(wǒ)夹得起来(jiādeqǐlai)花生(huāshēng)了(le)！

    Now I can pick up peanuts!

  4. Dengdeng

    真的吗(zhēndema)？试(shì)一下(yīxià)！

    Really? Try it!

  5. Leon

    看(kàn)，夹到了(jiādàole)，啊(a)，掉了(diàole)。

    Look, I got it... oh, it dropped.

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In a sentence

2 examples
01

事(shì)情(qíng)比(bǐ)我(wǒ)们(men)最(zuì)初(chū)想(xiǎng)象(xiàng)的(de)更(gèng)严(yán)重(zhòng)。

It was much worse than we initially thought.

Tatoeba: Chinese by aliene · English by aliene · CC BY 2.0 FR. Pinyin added or corrected.

02

我(wǒ)最(zuì)初(chū)并(bìng)不(bù)喜(xǐ)欢(huan)这(zhè)个(ge)城(chéng)市(shì)。

At first, I didn't like this city.

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How to write

Stroke order & practice

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Mainland China stroke order, including traditional characters. Drawing sources & licenses.

Definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG and its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Pinyin display and entry grouping have been adapted.

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