“hajimete (初めて)”: For the First Time (an adverb — don't confuse with 始めて) [JLPT N3]
Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026
An adverb for a first experience or the first time
「初めて」 or 「始めて」? — the adverb 「初めて」 (for the first time), don't miswrite the kanji
「日本に来て、初めて本物の桜を見た」 (after coming to Japan, I saw real cherry blossoms for the first time) — the adverb 「初めて (はじめて)」 means “for the first time, the first ever,” a first experience of something. The trickiest part is the kanji: 「初」めて = first time; 「始」めて = to begin (the て-form of 始める) — same reading, different meaning! This guide covers 「初めて」's use, the extended 「〜て初めて (only after ~ for the first time)」, and separates it from 「始めて／最初／初めまして」.
Core: something happening “for the first time” in life/experience
「初めて」 = “the first time, first ever” — stressing a never-before, first-time experience:
- A first experience: 初めて海外に行った (went abroad for the first time), 初めて寿司を食べた (ate sushi for the first time).
- 〜て初めて = “only after doing ~, for the first time (realize)”: 親になって初めて、親の苦労がわかった (only after becoming a parent did I understand my parents' hardship).
Feel: “the first time in my life,” with the freshness or realization of a first experience.
How to Connect
| Use | Attachment | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 初めて ＋ verb | do for the first time | 初めて会う |
| verb て-form ＋ 初めて | only after ~, for the first time | 失って初めて |
| noun (a first) | 〜が初めてだ | 海外は初めてだ |
Example sentences
- 日本に来て、初めて本物の桜を見た。(After coming to Japan, I saw real cherry blossoms for the first time.) — a first experience
- 初めての一人暮らしは、不安でいっぱいだった。(My first time living alone was full of anxiety.) — a first
- 親になって初めて、親のありがたさがわかった。(Only after becoming a parent did I appreciate my own parents.) — て初めて
- 失って初めて、その大切さに気づいた。(Only after losing it did I realize its value.) — て初めて
- 私は、寿司を食べるのは初めてです。(This is my first time eating sushi.) — noun predicate
⚠️ Easy traps to avoid
① Kanji: 「初」めて (first time) ≠ 「始」めて (to begin). Both read 「はじめて」, but 「初めて」 = for the first time (adverb) (初めて会う = meet for the first time); 「始めて」 = the て-form of 「始める (to begin)」 (勉強を始めて三年 = three years since I began studying). Completely different meanings — don't miswrite the kanji! Remember: 初 = first, 始 = begin.
② 「〜て初めて」 = only after doing ~, for the first time (realize). It takes a verb て-form, meaning “having gone through the first clause, only then for the first time (understand/notice)” — stressing “the first clause is a necessary condition for the realization”: 失って初めて気づく (only after losing do you realize), 社会に出て初めて、学生時代のよさがわかる (only after entering society do you appreciate your student days). A flavorful pattern.
③ 「初めて」 (adverb, first time) vs 「初めまして」 (a first-meeting greeting). 初めて = the adverb “for the first time”; 初めまして = a set greeting for a first meeting “nice to meet you” (opening a self-introduction). Don't mix the greeting 「初めまして」 with the adverb 「初めて」.
🔄 Compare: 初めて／始めて／最初／初めまして
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 初めて | for the first time (adverb) | 初めて会う |
| 始めて | to begin (て-form of 始める) | 勉強を始めて |
| 最初（に） | at first, the first (order) | 最初に挨拶 |
| 初めまして | a first-meeting greeting | 初めまして |
💡 The key point in use
「初めて」 is a super high-frequency everyday adverb, at its core “for the first time, the first ever” — a first experience (初めて海外に行く = go abroad for the first time, 初めて会う = meet for the first time). Two points: ① don't miswrite the kanji — “first time” is 「初めて」, “to begin (て-form of 始める)” is 「始めて」, same sound, different meaning; ② the extended pattern 「〜て初めて」 = “only after doing/experiencing the first clause do you, for the first time, (realize)” (失って初めて気づく = only after losing do you realize, なって初めてわかる = only after becoming do you understand), stressing the first clause as a necessary condition — quite profound. Also, the greeting 「初めまして (nice to meet you)」 is a set phrase — don't mix it with the adverb. For “the first time in my life,” 初めて is spot-on.
❓ Quick FAQ
Q: How do I tell 「初めて」 from 「始めて」? (same reading)
Different kanji, completely different meanings! 「初めて」 = for the first time (adverb): 初めて日本に行った (went to Japan for the first time), これは初めての経験だ (this is a first-time experience) — meaning “first, a first experience.” 「始めて」 = the て-form of 「始める (to begin)」: 仕事を始めて、もう10年になる (it's been 10 years since I began working), 練習を始めてから上達した (I improved after I began practicing) — meaning “begin (doing something).” So: “the first time” → 初めて (初 = first); “begin” → 始めて (始 = begin). Test: if the sense is “the first ever, a first experience,” use 初; if “set out, start doing,” use 始. Both read はじめて, but the kanji and meaning differ — take special care when writing.
Q: What does 「〜て初めて」 mean and how do I use it?
「(verb て-form) ＋ 初めて」 = “only after doing/experiencing the first clause do you, for the first time, (understand, notice, realize)” — stressing that the first clause is a necessary condition, without which the second clause's realization wouldn't happen: 親になって初めて、親の苦労がわかった (only after becoming a parent did I understand my parents' hardship — you can't grasp it without becoming one), 失って初めて、その大切さに気づいた (only after losing it did I realize its value), 日本に住んで初めて、本当の日本文化を知った (only after living in Japan did I come to know real Japanese culture). It often carries the depth of “realizing only through experience,” usually followed by verbs of realization like 「わかる・気づく・知る」. For “only after experiencing ~ do I finally understand ~,” 「〜て初めて」 is spot-on.
🖊️ Practice Questions (5)
Q1. 「日本に来て、___本物の桜を見た。」(after coming to Japan, saw real cherry blossoms for the first time)
(A) 初めて (B) 始めて (C) はじめると (D) 最初から
Q2. 「親に___、親のありがたさがわかった。」(only after becoming a parent did I first understand a parent's love)
(A) なって初めて (B) なるはじめて (C) なってはじめる (D) なるよりも
Q3. 「失って初めて、その大切さに気づいた。」What does this sentence mean?
(A) Only after losing it did I first realize its preciousness
(B) Cherish it well so as not to lose it
(C) Knew from the start that it was important
(D) Realized it before even losing it
Q4. 「初めて」と「始めて」の違いとして正しいものは？
(A) 初めて = for the first time (adverb); 始めて = start doing (the te-form of 「始める」)
(B) The two mean exactly the same
(C) 初めて can only go at the end of a sentence
(D) 始めて is the one that means 'for the first time'
Q5. 「〜て初めて」の用法として最も適切な文は？
(A) 病気になって初めて、健康の大切さがわかった。
(B) 初めてになって、病気が分かった。
(C) 健康て初めて、病気になる。 (D) 初めて健康が、病気になって分かった。
Answer Explanations
1. (A) 初めて ── 「初めて」＝“for the first time” (adverb). Note that 「始めて」is the て-form of the verb 始める (“to start doing”) — a different meaning.
2. (A) なって初めて ── 〜て初めて＝only after doing 〜 do you first (realize).
3. (A) Only after losing it did I first realize its preciousness ── 〜て初めて emphasizes that “the preceding clause is a necessary condition for the realization in the following clause.”
4. (A) ── 「初めて」is an adverb (“for the first time”); 「始めて」is the て-form of 始める (“to start”).
5. (A) ── 「〜して＋初めて＋気づく/わかる」is a fixed pattern; the other options have incorrect connections or word order.