How to Say ‘At first; first of all’ in Japanese
最初に
saisho ni
[sigh-shoh nee]
💬 Usage Tip: [最初に] means "at the start / first of all." It's close to [先に], but [最初に] focuses more on the beginning point, while [先に] often focuses on doing something ahead of another action.
Phrase Breakdown
最初
saisho
[sigh-shoh]
at first; at the beginning
Means the beginning or first stage of something.
最初に説明したほうがいいです。
It is better to explain at the beginning.
に
ni
[nee]
at; in; to
Particle that turns 最初 into an adverbial phrase meaning at first.
最初に聞いてください。
Please ask at the beginning.
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