"At first" • Chinese-English Dictionary
| 原来 | yuán lái | original / former / originally / formerly / at first / so, actually, as it turns out |   |
| 本来 | běn lái | original / originally / at first / it goes without saying / of course | |
| 最初 | zuì chū | first / primary / initial / original / at first / initially / originally | |
| 起初 | qǐ chū | originally / at first / at the outset | |
| 先 |  xiān | beforehand / first / earlier / at first / originally / for the time being / for now / (prefix) my late (in referring to deceased relatives older than oneself) | |
| 起先 | qǐ xiān | at first / in the beginning | |
| 初 | chū | at first / (at the) beginning / first / junior / basic | |
| 乍 | zhà | at first / suddenly / abruptly / to spread / (of hair) to stand on end / bristling | |
| 起头 | qǐ tóu | to start / at first / beginning | |
| 开先 | kāi xiān | at first | |
| 开初 | kāi chū | at the outset / at first / early | |
| 原初 | yuán chū | initial / original / originally / at first | |
