JLPT N3Spoken and writtenLooking back

て初はじめてonly after; not until

Something had to happen before you understood, noticed or managed a thing. Until then, you hadn't. English says "only after" or "it wasn't until … that".

一人ひとりで暮くらして初はじめて、家か事じの大たい変へんさが分わかった。

It wasn't until I lived on my own that I understood how much work housework is.

友とも達だちに言いわれて初はじめて、自じ分ぶんの間ま違ちがいに気きづいた。

I didn't notice my mistake until a friend pointed it out.

How to form it

Verb in the て-form + 初はじめて + what you then understood or managed

Also written てはじめて.

Before it: The experience it took: なって, やってみて, 言いわれて, 失しっ敗ぱいして.
After it: Usually what then became clear or possible: 分わかった, 気きづいた, 知しった, できるようになった.
Where you'll meet it: Conversation, essays, speeches and interviews: wherever people look back on what an experience taught them.

In use

親おやになって初はじめて、両りょう親しんの苦く労ろうが分わかった。

Only when I became a parent did I understand what my own parents went through.

何なん度ども練れん習しゅうして初はじめて、その曲きょくを最さい後ごまで弾ひけるようになった。

Only after practicing many times was I able to play the piece all the way through.

自じ分ぶんでやってみて初はじめて分わかることも多おおい。

There is a lot you only understand once you try it yourself.

Not only about the past. This is how things go in general.

It isn't the first time you did it

By itself 初はじめて is "for the first time". After a て-form it goes with what follows: that was the first moment you understood. What comes before it may have happened many times.

初はじめて一人ひとりで旅りょ行こうした。

I traveled alone for the first time.

初はじめて by itself: your first time doing it.

何なん度ども話はなし合あって初はじめて、お互たがいの考かんがえを理り解かいできた。

Only after talking it over many times were we able to understand each other's views.

Many talks. What came for the first time was the understanding.

生うまれて初はじめて雪ゆきを見みた。

I saw snow for the first time in my life.

A set phrase. 初はじめて goes with what follows here too.

Close neighbours

てからN5

Only the order: first this, then that. て初はじめて adds "and not before".

日本にほんに来きてから、漢かん字じの勉べん強きょうを始はじめました。

I started studying kanji after I came to Japan.

てからでないとN3

Also "not until", but it ends in what can't happen yet. て初はじめて ends in what happens once the thing is done.

検けん査さ結けっ果かが出でてからでないと、原げん因いんはわかりません。

We won't know the cause until the test results are in.

てこそN2

A principle more than a memory: it only counts if you do this.

練れん習しゅうは、毎まい日にち続つづけてこそ意い味みがある。

Practice only means something if you keep it up every day.

Check yourself

1What does this mean?

三さん回かい読よんで初はじめて、意い味みが分わかった。

Choose an answer to see why.

2Which one fits?

朝あさご飯はんを（　　）、会かい社しゃに行いきます。

Choose an answer to see why.

More sentences

病びょう気きになって初はじめて、健けん康こうのありがたさを実じっ感かんした。

Only when I got ill did I really appreciate being healthy.

実じっ際さいに使つかってみて初はじめて、この道どう具ぐの便べん利りさが分わかった。

It wasn't until I actually tried this tool that I saw how handy it is.

失しっ敗ぱいして初はじめて、準じゅん備びの大たい切せつさに気きづいた。

Only after failing did I realize how much preparation matters.

海かい外がいで生せい活かつして初はじめて、自じ分ぶんの文ぶん化かを意い識しきするようになった。

It wasn't until I lived abroad that I became aware of my own culture.