Translation guide
How to express doing something for the first time in Japanese, including common adverbs and sentence patterns.
The speaker is doing something they have never done before.
The most common and versatile way to say 'for the first time'. It is an adverb that can be used with any verb.
日本に初めて来ました。
I came to Japan for the first time.
初めて寿司を食べた。
I ate sushi for the first time.
A pattern meaning 'It is the first time to do ~'. The verb before のは is in the dictionary form.
海外に行くのは初めてです。
It's my first time going abroad.
こんなに緊張したのは初めてだ。
It's the first time I've been this nervous.
Used to describe a first experience or thing. N is a noun.
Describing an event or situation that has not occurred before, or not for a long time.
Means 'for the first time in a long time'. Used when something hasn't happened for a while.
久しぶりに映画を見た。
I watched a movie for the first time in a while.
Emphasizes that this specific instance is the first time. これが highlights the current occasion.
彼に会うのはこれが初めてです。
This is the first time I'm meeting him.
Referring to the initial occurrence in a series.
Means 'first' in a sequence. Often used when listing steps or events.
最初に自己紹介をしてください。
First, please introduce yourself.
Used for numbered events like meetings, conferences, or tournaments. Means 'the first (session/edition)'.
第一回会議は来週です。
The first meeting is next week.
初めて (hajimete) means 'for the first time' in the sense of a new experience. 最初に (saisho ni) means 'first' in a sequence of actions. Use 初めて when you are doing something you've never done before, and 最初に when you are doing the first step of several.
初めて富士山に登った。
I climbed Mt. Fuji for the first time.
最初にストレッチをして、それから走ります。
First I stretch, then I run.
一番 means 'number one' or 'most', not 'first time'. Saying 一番寿司を食べた would mean 'I ate sushi number one' or 'I ate the best sushi', not 'I ate sushi for the first time'.
去年、初めて京都に行きました。
I went to Kyoto for the first time last year.
納豆を食べるのは初めてです。
This is my first time trying natto.