馴なれ初そめ

な

れ

そ

め

JLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun

how a romance began; the start of a love story

Refers to the circumstances or story of how a couple first met and started their romantic relationship. Often used in the phrase 馴れ初めを話す (to tell the story of how one met one's partner).

二人ふたりの馴なれ初そめを聞きかせてください。

Please tell me how you two first got together.

彼かの女じょとの馴なれ初そめは、友とも達だちの紹しょう介かいだった。

The start of my romance with her was through a friend's introduction.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉の馴なれ初そめを話はなすto tell the story of how a couple first got together
友ゆう人じんの結けっ婚こん式しきで、二人ふたりの馴なれ初そめを話はなしてもらった。
At my friend's wedding, I asked the couple to tell the story of how they met.
馴なれ初そめを聞きくto ask (someone) how they met their partner
新しん婚こんの同どう僚りょうに馴なれ初そめを聞きいてみた。
I asked my newly married coworker how she and her husband met.

Kanji

馴get used to, experienced, tamed
初first time, beginning

Related words

出で会あいN3
出会い refers to a general encounter or first meeting between people, while 馴れ初め specifically means the story of how a couple began their romantic relationship.

Don't confuse with

初はつ恋こいN1
初恋 means someone's first romantic love ever, whereas 馴れ初め is the specific story of how a particular couple started dating, regardless of whether it was anyone's first love.

Written forms

馴なれ初そめUsage42%
Standard kanji spelling.
なれそめUsage54%
なれ初そめUsage4%
search-only kanji form
Search-only form; not a standard written variant.

Etymology

The noun form of 馴れ初める, combining 馴れる, “become familiar or intimate,” with 初める, “begin to.” It thus denotes the beginning of an acquaintance or romance.