How to Say ‘At first’ in French
Au début
oh day-BOO
[oh day-BOO]
💬 Usage Tip: Literally "at the beginning." Handy chunk to memorize: "au début" is used constantly when talking about adapting to a new situation.
🇫🇷 In France: At the start of the school year, many parent conversations revolve around adjustment: new class, new teacher, new routine.
Phrase Breakdown
Au
[oh]
at the / in the
Contraction of 'à le'; here part of the phrase 'au début' = 'at the beginning'.
Dans « Au début », « Au » introduit le moment.
In "Au début," "Au" introduces the time expression.
début
[day-BOO]
beginning
Means 'beginning'; often used in time expressions.
Dans « Au début », « début » veut dire 'beginning'.
In "Au début," "début" means 'beginning.'
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