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知り初める (しりそめる) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

知しり初そめる

Meanings

1

ichidan verb, transitive verb

begin to know; come to know for the first time

Literary or slightly formal verb indicating the start of knowing or becoming acquainted with something or someone. Often used in narrative contexts.

彼かの女じょはその町まちで孤こ独どくを知しり初そめた。
She began to know loneliness in that town.
少しょう年ねんは海うみの広ひろさを知しり初

そ

める

。

The boy comes to know the vastness of the sea for the first time.

Written forms

知しり初そめる
Standard kanji spelling with okurigana.
知しり初そめる
Less common variant without the okurigana り.

Kanji

知know, wisdom
初first time, beginning

Similar words

知しる
知る is the basic verb 'to know', while 知り初める adds the nuance of beginning to know or experiencing knowledge for the first time.
知しり合あう
知り合う means 'to get to know each other', focusing on mutual acquaintance, whereas 知り初める is about the start of knowing something or someone, not necessarily mutual.

Etymology

Compound of 知り (continuative form of 知る 'to know') + 初める (auxiliary verb meaning 'to begin to'). The auxiliary 初める attaches to the continuative form of verbs to indicate the start of an action.