初めて
Meanings
2
only after ...; not until ...
Used after the -te form of a verb to express that something happens only after that action is completed. Often implies a condition or prerequisite.
Only after you get sick do you appreciate the value of good health.
It was not until I became a parent that I understood my parents' hardships.
3
first time; one's first
Colloquial noun usage, often in phrases like 初めての〜 (one's first ~).
My first overseas trip made me very nervous.
This is my first experience.
Usage patterns
- 初めて〈場所〉へ行くto go to a place for the first time
I went to Japan for the first time.
- 〈動詞〉て、初めて〈動詞〉only after doing something does one realize or experience the next thing
Only after raising a child myself did I understand a parent's feelings.
- 初めての〈物〉one's first ~
This is my first trip abroad.
- 〈人〉に初めて会うto meet someone for the first time
It was in high school that I first met him.