| 初 |
chū shǐ | initial / starting (point) |
| 初 |
chū | (bound form) at first; initially / (bound form) first; early / (bound form) (in lunar calendar dates, before numerals 1–10) days 1 to 10 of a month, as in 初三 "the third" |
| 始 |
shǐ | to begin / to start / then / only then |