最初 zuìchū first
first; primary; initial; original; at first; initially; originally
How to remember 最初: 最 the most + 初 beginning = first.
Characters
How it is used
- Means "at first / originally / the very first" - 最初我不同意 (zuìchū wǒ bù tóngyì) at first I disagreed.
- Points to the earliest starting point; contrast with 起初 (qǐchū, similar) and 原来 (yuánlái, as it turns out). Antonym 最后/最终 (in the end) - 最后他同意了 (zuìhòu tā tóngyì le) in the end he agreed.
Example sentences
- 他已经不是我最初见他那时的那个人了。 Tā yǐjīng búshì wǒ zuìchū jiàn tā nàshí de nàge rén le.He is not the man that he was when I first knew him.
- 汤姆最初是看门人，但现在他是公司的总裁了。 Tāngmǔ zuìchū shì kānménrén, dàn xiànzài tā shì gōngsī de zǒngcái le.Tom started as a janitor, but he's now the president of the company.