ichidan verb, intransitive verb
begin to bloom; start blossoming
Describes the moment when flowers start to open. Often used in poetic or literary contexts.
庭の桜が咲き初めた。
The cherry blossoms in the garden have begun to bloom.
春の花が次々と咲き初める。
Spring flowers begin to bloom one after another.
Standard kanji spelling.
Variant with kana for the second part.
Abbreviated kanji form; less common.
Compound of 咲き (continuative form of 咲く 'to bloom') + 初める (archaic verb meaning 'to begin'). The modern equivalent is 咲き始める.