起初

起初

Chinese

		to rise; to raise; to get up	initial; first; beginning initial; first; beginning; junior; basic
trad. (起初)		起	初
simp. #(起初)		起	初

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): qǐchū

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧˇ ㄔㄨ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): hei² co¹
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): hí-chhû
• Min Nan (POJ): khí-chho͘ / khí-chhe / khí-chhoe

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: qǐchū
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧˇ ㄔㄨ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chiichu
    • IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: hei² co¹
    • Yale: héi chō
    • Cantonese Pinyin: hei² tso¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: héi² co¹
    • IPA ^(key): /hei̯³⁵ t͡sʰɔː⁵⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: hí-chhû
    • Hakka Romanization System: hi` cu´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: hi³ cu¹
    • IPA: /hi³¹ t͡sʰu²⁴/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, mainstream Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khí-chho͘
    • Tâi-lô: khí-tshoo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qyzhof
    • IPA (Xiamen, Taipei): /kʰi⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sʰɔ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kʰi⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ t͡sʰɔ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kʰi⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ t͡sʰɔ³³/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khí-chhe
    • Tâi-lô: khí-tshe
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qyzhef
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /kʰi⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sʰe⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: khí-chhoe
    • Tâi-lô: khí-tshue
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qyzhoef
    • IPA (Taipei): /kʰi⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sʰue⁴⁴/

Adverb

起初

1. at first; initially; in the beginning; originally; at the outset
   • Bible Genesis Chapter 1 verse 1

     起初神創造天地。 / 起初神创造天地。  ―  Qǐchū Shén chuàngzào tiāndì.  ―  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Synonyms

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Synonyms of 起初

一開始／一开始 (yīkāishǐ) 原來／原来 (yuánlái) 原先 (yuánxiān) 原底 (yuándǐ) (chiefly Cantonese, Min Nan) 原本 (yuánběn) 在本 (Min Nan) 最初 (zuìchū) 本來／本来 (běnlái) 本底 (Min Nan)

本成 (Min Nan) 本然 (Min Nan) 當初／当初 (dāngchū) 當初時／当初时 (Min Nan) 自本 (Min Nan) 舊底／旧底 (Min Nan) 起先 (qǐxiān) 起頭／起头 (qǐtóu) 開初／开初 (kāichū)