初しょ旬じゅん

しょ

じゅ

ん

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

first ten days of a month; early part of a month

Refers to roughly days 1 through 10 of a month. Used as a noun and adverbially in expressions such as 4月初旬に or 来月初旬.

桜さくらは四し月がつ初しょ旬じゅんに満まん開かいになる予よ定ていです。
The cherry blossoms are expected to be in full bloom in early April.
新あたらしい店みせは来らい月げつ初しょ旬じゅんに開かい店てんする。
The new shop will open in the first ten days of next month.

See all 5 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈時じ〉初しょ旬じゅんにin the early part of 〈month/time〉
4月がつ初しょ旬じゅんに日本にほんへ旅りょ行こうに行いく予よ定ていです。
I'm planning to travel to Japan in early April.
初しょ旬じゅんから中ちゅう旬じゅんにかけてfrom the beginning to the middle of the month
5月がつ初しょ旬じゅんから中ちゅう旬じゅんにかけて桜さくらが咲さきます。
The cherry blossoms bloom from early to mid-May.

Kanji

初first time, beginning
旬decameron, ten-day period, season (for specific products)

Related words

上じょう旬じゅんN3
上旬 is the standard calendar term for the first third of a month, while 初旬 has a similar meaning but feels slightly more colloquial, describing 'early in the month.'

Opposites

下げ旬じゅんN3
初旬 refers to the first ten days of a month, while 下旬 refers to the last part of the month, making them opposite ends of the same calendar division.

Don't confuse with

中ちゅう旬じゅんN3
初旬 and 中旬 look and sound similar and are often used in the same sentence patterns, but 初旬 means the first ten days of a month while 中旬 means the middle ten days.
初しょ期きN1
初旬 refers specifically to the first ten days of a month, while 初期 refers to the early stage of any longer process or period, not tied to a calendar month.

Etymology

Sino-Japanese compound: 初 means 'beginning' or 'first,' and 旬 means a ten-day period, especially a third of a month.