Phrase guide

at first

prep_phrase · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

prep_phrase

Meaning 1

Initially; at the start; originally.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
  • The work was hard at first, but soon I got used to it.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

73 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: նախ (nax) — initially; at the start
  • Armenian: սկզբում (skzbum) — initially; at the start
  • Bashkir: тәүҙә (təwźə) — initially; at the start
  • Bashkir: башта (başta) — initially; at the start
  • Bashkir: алда (alda) — initially; at the start
  • Bashkir: алдан (aldan) — initially; at the start
  • Bashkir: борон (boron) — initially; at the start
  • Bashkir: элек (elek) — initially; at the start
  • Belarusian: спача́тку (spačátku) — initially; at the start
  • Belarusian: спярша́ (spjaršá) — initially; at the start
  • Chinese Mandarin: 起初 (qǐchū) — initially; at the start
  • Czech: zpočátku — initially; at the start
  • Czech: nejprve — initially; at the start
  • Dutch: aanvankelijk — initially; at the start
  • Esperanto: unue — initially; at the start
  • Esperanto: komence — initially; at the start
  • Finnish: ensin — initially; at the start
  • Finnish: ensiksi — initially; at the start
  • Finnish: ensi alkuun — initially; at the start
  • French: d'abord — initially; at the start
  • French: au début — initially; at the start
  • Galician: ao primeiro — initially; at the start
  • German: zuerst — initially; at the start
  • German: zunächst — initially; at the start
  • German: anfänglich — initially; at the start
  • German: anfangs — initially; at the start
  • Hebrew: בְּרֵאשִׁית (bereshít) — initially; at the start
  • Hebrew: תְּחִלָּה (tḥilá) — initially; at the start
  • Hungarian: először — initially; at the start
  • Hungarian: eleinte — initially; at the start
  • Hungarian: kezdetben — initially; at the start
  • Irish: ar dtús — initially; at the start
  • Irish: i dtosach — initially; at the start
  • Old Irish: i tosuch — initially; at the start
  • Italian: dapprima — initially; at the start
  • Italian: all'inizio — initially; at the start
  • Italian: sulle prime — initially; at the start
  • Japanese: 始めは (hajime wa) — initially; at the start
  • Kazakh: әуел баста (äuel basta) — initially; at the start
  • Korean: 처음에는 (cheo'eumeneun) — initially; at the start
  • Lao: ທີ່ຕົ້ນ (thī ton) — initially; at the start
  • Latin: primitus — initially; at the start
  • Latin: primum — initially; at the start
  • Manchu: ᡨᡠᡴᡨᠠᠨ (tuktan) — initially; at the start
  • Manchu: ᡩᠠᡩᡝ (dade) — initially; at the start
  • Manchu: ᠵᠣᡴᠰᠣᠨ (jokson) — initially; at the start
  • Old English: æt forman — initially; at the start
  • Polish: z początku — initially; at the start
  • Polish: na początku — initially; at the start
  • Portuguese: a princípio — initially; at the start
  • Russian: снача́ла (snačála) — initially; at the start
  • Russian: сперва́ (spervá) — initially; at the start
  • Russian: понача́лу (ponačálu) — initially; at the start
  • Russian: пре́жде (préžde) — initially; at the start
  • Sanskrit: प्रथमम् (prathamam) — initially; at the start
  • Scottish Gaelic: an toiseach — initially; at the start
  • Scottish Gaelic: sa chiad dol a-mach — initially; at the start
  • Spanish: al principio — initially; at the start
  • Spanish: en un principio — initially; at the start
  • Spanish: al inicio — initially; at the start
  • Swedish: först — initially; at the start
  • Swedish: till en början — initially; at the start
  • Tamil: முதலில் (mutalil) — initially; at the start
  • Thai: ตอนแรก — initially; at the start
  • Ukrainian: споча́тку (spočátku) — initially; at the start
  • Ukrainian: спе́ршу (spéršu) — initially; at the start
  • Ukrainian: напе́ршу (napéršu) — initially; at the start
  • Uyghur: دەسلەپتە (deslepte) — initially; at the start
  • Vietnamese: mới đầu — initially; at the start
  • Welsh: ar yr olwg gyntaf — initially; at the start
  • Welsh: ar y cyntaf — initially; at the start
  • Welsh: ar y cychwyn — initially; at the start
  • Yakut: бастаан (bastaan) — initially; at the start