also: ちょせん
beginning of hostilities; opening of a conflict
Refers to the initial stage of a war, battle, or military campaign. Often used in historical or news contexts.
The victory at the beginning of hostilities greatly influenced the subsequent course of the war.
first match; opening game
Used in sports or competitions to mean the first match of a series, tournament, or season. Synonymous with 初戦.
See also: 初戦
We ended up facing a strong team in the first match.
The team won its opening match and gained momentum.
The army was defeated in the opening battle and forced to retreat.
The players faced their opening match with tense expressions.
序盤 refers broadly to the early stage or opening moves of any contest or process, whereas 緒戦 specifically denotes the first battle or first match.
Standard kanji form; the reading しょせん is the primary modern reading.
Alternate reading; less common and may be considered non-standard or archaic.
Compound of 緒 (beginning, thread) and 戦 (war, battle). The reading しょせん is the standard Sino-Japanese reading; ちょせん is a less common variant.