初

初 U+521D, 初 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-521D ← 刜 [U+521C] CJK Unified Ideographs 刞 → [U+521E]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

初 (Kangxi radical 18, 刀+5, 7 strokes, cangjie input 中尸竹 (LSH), four-corner 3722₀, composition ⿰衤刀)

Derived characters

• 𢮀, 𦁅, 𫋶, 𪯨, 𭝘, 𤙟, 𤯦, 𠸗, 𩷞, 𪁲, 𠠭

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 137, character 33
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 1911
• Dae Jaweon: page 310, character 1
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 327, character 22
• Unihan data for U+521D

Chinese

simp. and trad.		初
2nd round simp.		𥘉
alternative forms		𥝢 𠜆 𫢈 𢀯 𢀰 𥝢 𠜆 𫢈 𢀯 𢀰 𡔈 䥚 𠫎 𣦂

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 初
Shang	Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意): 衤 (“clothes”) + 刀 (“knife; to cut”) – start making clothes by cutting the cloth.

The various 𢀰-shaped glyphs are or are evolved from Zetian characters.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): chū (chu¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄔㄨ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): cu¹

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): co¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): co¹

• Gan (Wiktionary): cu¹
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): chhû

  (Hailu, HRS): cu^ˋ / co^ˋ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): ci¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): cu¹
• Northern Min (KCR): chú
• Eastern Min (BUC): chĕ̤ / chŭ
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): coe¹ / ce¹
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): chhoe / chhe / chhere / chho͘

  (Teochew, Peng'im): co¹ / ciu¹

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹tshu
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): cou¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chū
    • Zhuyin: ㄔㄨ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chu
    • Wade–Giles: chʻu¹
    • Yale: chū
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chu
    • Palladius: чу (ču)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: cu¹
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: cu
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰu⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: co¹
    • Yale: chō
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tso¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: co¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɔː⁵⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: co¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰᵘɔ³³/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: cu¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰu⁴²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhû
    • Hakka Romanization System: cu^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: cu¹
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰu²⁴/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: cu^ˋ / co^ˋ
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰu⁵³/, /t͡sʰo⁵³/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: ci¹
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰz̩⁴⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: cu¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡sʰu¹¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: chú
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰu⁵⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: chĕ̤ / chŭ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰœ⁵⁵/, /t͡sʰu⁵⁵/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian, Nanri)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: coe¹
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: che̤
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰø⁵³³/
  • (Jiangkou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: coe¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰœ⁵³³/
  • (Xianyou, Youyang)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: coe¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰø⁵⁴⁴/
  • (Fengting)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: ce¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰe⁵⁴⁴/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Sanxia, Kinmen, Magong, Hsinchu, Singapore, Philippines)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhoe
    • Tâi-lô: tshue
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zhoef
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Philippines): /t͡sʰue³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kinmen, Singapore): /t͡sʰue⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, Yilan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhe
    • Tâi-lô: tshe
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zhef
    • IPA (Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Yilan): /t͡sʰe⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Sanxia)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhere
    • Tâi-lô: tshere
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese, Singapore, Philippines)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chho͘
    • Tâi-lô: tshoo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zhof
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Philippines): /t͡sʰɔ³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Singapore): /t͡sʰɔ⁴⁴/

Note:

• chhoe/chhe - vernacular;
• chho͘ - literary.

• • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: co¹ / ciu¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tsho / tshiu
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰo³³/, /t͡sʰiu³³/
Note:
• ciu1 - only when referring to days 1-10 of the month in the Chinese calendar;
• co1 - all other senses.
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹tshu
    • MiniDict: tshu^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹tshu
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡sʰu⁵³/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: cou¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰəu̯³³/

---

• Middle Chinese: tsrhjo

Rime
Character	初
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	初 (19)
Final (韻)	魚 (22)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	楚居切
Baxter	tsrhjo
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/t͡ʃʰɨʌ/
Pan Wuyun	/ʈ͡ʂʰiɔ/
Shao Rongfen	/t͡ʃʰiɔ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʈ͡ʂʰɨə̆/
Li Rong	/t͡ʃʰiɔ/
Wang Li	/t͡ʃʰĭo/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ʈ͡ʂʰi̯wo/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	chū
Expected Cantonese Reflex	co1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[ts]ʰra/

  (Zhengzhang): /*sʰra/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	初
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	chū
Middle Chinese	‹ tsrhjo ›
Old Chinese	/*[ts]ʰra/
English	beginning
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	初
Reading #	1/1
No.	1589
Phonetic component	初
Rime group	魚
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	初
Old Chinese	/*sʰra/

Definitions

初

1. initial; inceptive

   初夏  ―  chūxià  ―  early summer

2. first

   初雪  ―  chūxuě  ―  first snow

   初戀／初恋  ―  chūliàn  ―  first love

3. prefix of dates from 1^st to 10^th in the Chinese calendar

   初三  ―  chūsān  ―  third day of a lunar month

4. original

   初衷  ―  chūzhōng  ―  one’s initial intention; original idea

5. elementary; basic

   初級／初级  ―  chūjí  ―  elementary

6. beginning; start

   四月初  ―  sìyuè chū  ―  early April

   民初  ―  mínchū  ―  beginning of the Republic of China era

7. just

   初出茅廬／初出茅庐  ―  chūchūmáolú  ―  to have just begun one's career without any experience (literally, “to have just come out of one's thatched cottage”)

   如夢初醒／如梦初醒  ―  rúmèngchūxǐng  ―  to suddenly realize; to wake up to reality (literally, “as if one has just waken up from a dream”)

   • 遙想公瑾當年，小喬初嫁了，雄姿英發。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     遥想公瑾当年，小乔初嫁了，雄姿英发。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 1082, Su Shi, 念奴嬌·赤壁懷古

     Yáoxiǎng Gōngjǐn dāngnián, Xiǎoqiáo chū jià le, xióngzīyīngfā. [Pinyin]

     Recalling the year when Gongjin had just had Xiao Qiao as his wife, robust and beaming with might.

Compounds

• 一本初衷
• 久夢初醒 / 久梦初醒
• 最初 (zuìchū)
• 冬初
• 凌濛初
• 初一 (chūyī)
• 初一十五 (chūyī shíwǔ)
• 初七
• 初中 (chūzhōng)
• 初乳 (chūrǔ)
• 初二 (chū'èr)
• 初五隔開 / 初五隔开
• 初交
• 初伏
• 初冬 (chūdōng)
• 初出茅廬 / 初出茅庐 (chūchūmáolú)
• 初創 / 初创 (chūchuàng)
• 初印本
• 初吉 (chūjí)
• 初唐 (Chūtáng)
• 初唐四傑 / 初唐四杰
• 初喪 / 初丧
• 初夏 (chūxià)
• 初夜 (chūyè)
• 初夜權 / 初夜权 (chūyèquán)
• 初妻
• 初始 (chūshǐ)
• 初婚 (chūhūn)
• 初學 / 初学 (chūxué)
• 初學記 / 初学记
• 初審 / 初审 (chūshěn)
• 初寫黃庭 / 初写黄庭
• 初小
• 初度 (chūdù)
• 初弦 (chūxián)
• 初心 (chūxīn)
• 初志
• 初意 (chūyì)
• 初戀 / 初恋 (chūliàn)
• 初戰 / 初战 (chūzhàn)
• 初文 (chūwén)
• 初日 (chūrì)
• 初旬 (chūxún)
• 初春 (chūchūn)
• 初時 / 初时 (chūshí)
• 初晡日
• 初更 (chūgēng)
• 初月
• 初服
• 初期 (chūqī)
• 初次 (chūcì)
• 初步 (chūbù)
• 初歲 / 初岁
• 初民
• 初版 (chūbǎn)
• 初犯 (chūfàn)
• 初獻 / 初献
• 初生之犢 / 初生之犊 (chūshēngzhīdú)
• 初發 / 初发
• 初發芙蓉 / 初发芙蓉
• 初眠
• 初祖
• 初秋 (chūqiū)
• 初秋圖 / 初秋图
• 初稿 (chūgǎo)
• 初立
• 初等 (chūděng)
• 初等函數 / 初等函数 (chūděng hánshù)
• 初等教育 (chūděng jiàoyù)
• 初篁
• 初級 / 初级 (chūjí)
• 初級中學 / 初级中学 (chūjí zhōngxué)
• 初級團體 / 初级团体
• 初級小學 / 初级小学
• 初級關係 / 初级关系
• 初虧 / 初亏
• 初衣
• 初衷 (chūzhōng)
• 初診 / 初诊 (chūzhěn)
• 初試 / 初试 (chūshì)
• 初試啼聲 / 初试啼声
• 初試身手 / 初试身手
• 初賽 / 初赛 (chūsài)
• 初速 (chūsù)
• 初選 / 初选 (chūxuǎn)
• 初選制 / 初选制
• 初間 / 初间
• 初階 / 初阶
• 初陽 / 初阳 (chūyáng)
• 初雪 (chūxuě)
• 初霜 (chūshuāng)
• 初露鋒芒 / 初露锋芒
• 初露頭角 / 初露头角
• 初頭 / 初头 (chūtóu)
• 初願 / 初愿 (chūyuàn)
• 劈初頭 / 劈初头
• 厥初
• 反初服
• 和好如初 (héhǎorúchū)
• 國初 / 国初
• 大夢初醒 / 大梦初醒
• 大年初一 (dànián chūyī)
• 大病初癒 / 大病初愈
• 太初
• 太初曆 / 太初历
• 如初 (rúchū)
• 如夢初覺 / 如梦初觉
• 如夢初醒 / 如梦初醒 (rúmèngchūxǐng)
• 如醉初醒
• 完好如初 (wánhǎorúchū)
• 宜初
• 山初 (Shānchū)
• 年初 (niánchū)
• 往初
• 從初 / 从初
• 悔不當初 / 悔不当初 (huǐbùdāngchū)
• 情竇初開 / 情窦初开
• 新硎初試 / 新硎初试
• 旭日初升
• 晴初
• 月初 (yuèchū)
• 本初 (běnchū)
• 民初 (mínchū)
• 泰初
• 瓜字初分
• 當初 / 当初 (dāngchū)
• 華燈初上 / 华灯初上
• 賓之初筵 / 宾之初筵
• 起初 (qǐchū)
• 遂初
• 開初 / 开初 (kāichū)

Descendants

• → Vietnamese: xưa

References

• “初”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• 李如龙 [Li, Ru-long]; 刘福铸 [Liu, Fu-zhu]; 吴华英 [Wu, Hua-ying]; 黄国城 [Huang, Guo-cheng] (2019), “初”, in 莆仙方言调查报告 [Investigation Report on Puxian Dialect] (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), Xiamen University Press, →ISBN, page 139.