Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
“Not until/Only after [Action A], did [Consequence B] occur/was [Consequence B] realized.”
🎯 Primary Function
To express that a specific action or experience (A) is the necessary trigger or prerequisite for a subsequent consequence (B) to happen or be understood for the very first time.
📋 Grammar Structure
Verb て-form + はじめて
N/A
N/A
V-ないで + はじめて (Less common)
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Used in formal speech or writing when discussing experiences, lessons learned, or official procedures.
Informal Situations
Common in personal stories, reflections, and casual conversation.
Written Language
Used in essays, articles, academic papers, and autobiographical narratives.
Spoken Language
Frequently used when sharing personal growth or explaining a realization.
💡 Common Applications
Expressing a Newfound Understanding (Realization)
Used to indicate that a realization about something (e.g., the good points of Japan) only came after a specific action (e.g., actually living abroad). The main clause often uses verbs like わかる (wakaru), 気づく (kizuku), or 知る (shiru).
Example: 実際に海外で暮らしてみてはじめて、日本の良さがわかった。
Establishing a Necessary Condition (Prerequisite)
Indicates that the subsequent action (e.g., serious thinking) only began once the prior condition (e.g., graduating) was met. It emphasizes the commencement of a new phase or action.
Example: 卒業してはじめて、自分の将来について真剣に考え始めた。
Frequency
Moderately high, especially in reflective or narrative contexts.
Difficulty
N3
Tag:
Example Sentences
Example #1
自分で会社を設立してはじめて、経営の難しさが身に染みた。
Furigana: じぶんでかいしゃをせつりつしてはじめて、けいえいのむずかしさがみにしみた。
Romaji: Jibun de kaisha o setsuritsu shite hajimete, keiei no muzukashisa ga mi ni shimita.
English: Only after starting my own company did I truly feel the difficulty of management.
Example #2
親になってはじめて、親のありがたみがわかった。
Furigana: おやになってはじめて、おやのありがたみがわかった。
Romaji: Oya ni natte hajimete, oya no arigatami ga wakatta.
English: It was not until I became a parent that I understood how much I owed my own parents.
Example #3
マニュアルを見ないでやってみてはじめて、間違いに気づいた。
Furigana: マニュアルをみないでやってみてはじめて、まちがいにきづいた。
Romaji: Manyuaru o minaide yatte mite hajimete, machigai ni kizuita.
English: Only after trying it without looking at the manual did I notice the mistake.
Example #4
富士山に登ってはじめて、日本の自然の雄大さを感じた。
Furigana: ふじさんにのぼってはじめて、にほんのしぜんのゆうだいさをかんじた。
Romaji: Fujisan ni nobotte hajimete, Nihon no shizen no yuudaisa o kanjita.
English: It was only after climbing Mt. Fuji that I felt the grandeur of Japan’s nature.
Example #5
先生の指導を受けてはじめて、自分の弱点に気がついた。
Furigana: せんせいのしどうをうけてはじめて、じぶんのじゃくてんにきがついて。
Romaji: Sensei no shidō o ukete hajimete, jibun no jakuten ni ki ga tsuita.
English: Only after receiving the teacher’s guidance did I notice my own weak points.
Example #6
1年間海外で生活してはじめて、日本語の大切さを再認識した。
Furigana: いちねんかんかいがいでせいかつしてはじめて、にほんごのたいせつさをさいにんしきした。
Romaji: Ichinenkan kaigai de seikatsu shite hajimete, Nihongo no taisetsu-sa o saininshiki shita.
English: Only after living abroad for a year did I re-recognize the importance of Japanese.
Example #7
あの事故のニュースを聞いてはじめて、安全運転の重要性を意識した。
Furigana: あのじこのニュースをきいてはじめて、あんぜんうんてんのじゅうようせいをいしきした。
Romaji: Ano jiko no nyūsu o kiite hajimete, anzen unten no jūyōsei o ishiki shita.
English: Only after hearing the news of that accident did I become conscious of the importance of safe driving.
Example #8
彼女に会って直接話してはじめて、誤解が解けた。
Furigana: かのじょにあってちょくせつはなしてはじめて、ごかいがとけた。
Romaji: Kanojo ni atte chokusetsu hanashite hajimete, gokai ga toketa.
English: Only after meeting her and talking directly was the misunderstanding cleared up.
Example #9
自分の手で修理してみてはじめて、その機械の構造が理解できた。
Furigana: じぶんのてでしゅうりしてみてはじめて、そのきかいのこうぞうがりかいできた。
Romaji: Jibun no te de shūri shite mite hajimete, sono kikai no kōzō ga rikai dekita.
English: I could only understand the machine’s structure after trying to repair it with my own hands.
Example #10
医者に診断してもらってはじめて、自分の病状の深刻さを知った。
Furigana: いしゃにしんたんしてもらってはじめて、じぶんのびょうじょうのしんこくさをしった。
Romaji: Isha ni shindan shite moratte hajimete, jibun no byōjō no shinkoku-sa o shitta.
English: It was only after being diagnosed by a doctor that I learned the seriousness of my illness.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Focus on “First Time” or “New Realization.”
The core meaning is that the subsequent event (B) is something new or realized for the first time, immediately following the action (A). It highlights the ‘virgin’ experience or realization.
Example: この本を読んで、はじめて彼の才能が理解できた。
Action A must precede and trigger Consequence B.
The action/experience in the て-form clause must be completed before the main clause happens or is realized. It acts as a mandatory, initiating condition or trigger.
Example: 結婚してみてはじめて、お金の管理の重要性を知った。
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ 家に帰ってはじめてご飯を食べた。
✅ 家に帰ってから、ご飯を食べた。
「てはじめて」 is not used for simple chronological events but specifically for realizing something new or starting a new phase/understanding. Use Vてから for simple “after X, Y” sequence.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral/Standard. The overall politeness depends on the final verb of the sentence.
Social Situations: Ideal for situations involving reflection, personal growth, educational contexts, or explaining a mandatory condition for a discovery.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese. No significant regional variations in usage.
🔍 Subtle Differences
Vてから vs. Vてはじめて
Vてから simply means “after doing V” (simple chronological sequence). Vてはじめて means “only after doing V, was the result realized/possible (for the first time).”
When to use: Use Vてはじめて when emphasizing that V was the necessary, crucial trigger for a new understanding, skill, or ability.
📝 Conjugation Notes
The pattern must always attach to the completed action in the **て-form** of a verb. This structure confirms that the action (A) is the completed trigger.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Ensure the smooth liaison between the verb’s て-form and はじめて (e.g., きいてはじめて, のぼってはじめて) without pausing, maintaining the flow of the phrase.
🧠 Memory Tips
Relate the ‘te’ (V-te form) to the action/condition and ‘hajimete’ (初めて – for the first time) to the realization or result. “Do X, and FOR THE FIRST TIME, realize Y.”
Other Grammar
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