What is the difference between 始め 初め and 始まり?


Just to be sure, I'm not talking about the verbs 始める/始まる but the nouns(maybe
adverb?) 始め 初め and 始まり.




## 始【はじ】め and 初【はじ】め

These are both the stem or noun forms (technically, the 連用形【れんようけい】) of verb
はじめる ("to begin something, to start something", transitive / 他動詞【たどうし】).

In terms of usage, the kanji 初 is never used to spell the transitive verb -- a
related clue. 初め is used to mean "the beginning or start of something", a
sense that is broadly interchangeable with the 始め spelling, when talking about
the "start" in terms of **time**. When talking about "start" in terms of a
process, or work, or something that **someone starts** , use the 始め spelling.

(That said, Googling for actual usage, the above appears to be more of a broad
guideline than a rule set in stone.)

## 始【はじ】まり

This is the noun form (technically, the 連用形【れんようけい】) of verb はじまる ("to begin,
to start", intransitive / 自動詞【じどうし】).

This is also used to mean "the beginning or start of something", but more
specifically in reference to something that is **starting on its own** , and
not something that **someone starts** intentionally.

始【はじ】まり can be used with nouns that require humans to do them, like in
仕事【しごと】の始【はじ】まり. In these cases, the use of 始【はじ】まり instead of 始【はじ】め puts the
focus on the work, rather than the people doing the work. It's a bit like a
passive construction in English, which puts the focus on the patient (the
thing to which the action of the verb happens) rather than the agent (the
thing doing the action of the verb).

## Usage patterns

Looking at my copy of Shogakukan's 類語辞典【るいごじてん】 (Thesaurus), I see the
following useful table for words related to ideas of "the beginning or origin
of something":

[code]

        類語対比表【るいごたいひひょう】 
    　　　　　国【くに】の～　　　　　文明【ぶんめい】の～　　　　　日本人【にほんじん】の～　　　　　諸悪【しょあく】の～
    　　　(the country)　　(civilization)　　(Japanese people)　(one's troubles)
    始【はじ】まり　 　○　　　　　　　　○　　　　　　　　－　　　　　　　　　△
    始【はじ】め　　　 ○　　　　　　　　△　　　　　　　　－　　　　　　　　　－
    起源【きげん】　　　 ○　　　　　　　　○　　　　　　　　○　　　　　　　　　－
    根源【こんげん】　　　 －　　　　　　　　○　　　　　　　　△　　　　　　　　　○
    源【みなもと】　　　 －　　　　　　　　○　　　　　　　　－　　　　　　　　　○
    源流【げんりゅう】　 　 －　　　　　　　　○　　　　　　　　－　　　　　　　　　－
    
[/code]

The circle indicates appropriate usage, the triangle indicates borderline
usage (depends on context), and the dash indicates inappropriate usage.

From what I've understood, the difference between 国の[始]{●}[ま]{●}[り]{●} vs.
国の[始]{●}[め]{●} is a difference in emphasis: 始まり focuses on the start of the
nation, as something that begins on its own; meanwhile, 始め focuses on the
start of the nation, as something that people are doing.

### Difficulties

The 初め・始め distinction is a subtle one that even Japanese speakers have
questions about. [This web page](http://nihon-
go.jp/%E7%B4%9B%E3%82%89%E3%82%8F%E3%81%97%E3%81%84%E8%AA%9E/%E3%80%8C%E5%88%9D%E3%82%81%E3%80%8D%E3%81%A8%E3%80%8C%E5%A7%8B%E3%82%81%E3%80%8D%E3%81%AE%E9%81%95%E3%81%84/)
discusses the differences. Their main point:

>   * 「初（はじ）め」は、 **ある期間の早い段階、ものごとの最初** という意味をあらわします。
>   * 「始（はじ）め」は、 **ある時点から新たな行動をしたり、ものごとが起こったりすること** を意味します。「創（はじ）め」と書くこともあります。
>

>
> 基本的な意味として、「初め」は”最初”、「始め」は”開始”という意味であると考えるとよいでしょう。
>
> * * *
>
>   * 初め expresses a meaning of **the early stage of a period of time, the
> beginning of things**.
>   * 始め means **engaging in some new behavior, or things happening, from a
> particular point in time**.
>

>
> In terms of the basic meanings, it's probably good to think of 初め as meaning
> "the first", and 始め as meaning "the start".




## 始【はじ】め and 初【はじ】め

These are both the stem or noun forms (technically, the 連用形【れんようけい】) of verb
はじめる ("to begin something, to start something", transitive / 他動詞【たどうし】).

In terms of usage, the kanji 初 is never used to spell the transitive verb -- a
related clue. 初め is used to mean "the beginning or start of something", a
sense that is broadly interchangeable with the 始め spelling, when talking about
the "start" in terms of **time**. When talking about "start" in terms of a
process, or work, or something that **someone starts** , use the 始め spelling.

(That said, Googling for actual usage, the above appears to be more of a broad
guideline than a rule set in stone.)

## 始【はじ】まり

This is the noun form (technically, the 連用形【れんようけい】) of verb はじまる ("to begin,
to start", intransitive / 自動詞【じどうし】).

This is also used to mean "the beginning or start of something", but more
specifically in reference to something that is **starting on its own** , and
not something that **someone starts** intentionally.

始【はじ】まり can be used with nouns that require humans to do them, like in
仕事【しごと】の始【はじ】まり. In these cases, the use of 始【はじ】まり instead of 始【はじ】め puts the
focus on the work, rather than the people doing the work. It's a bit like a
passive construction in English, which puts the focus on the patient (the
thing to which the action of the verb happens) rather than the agent (the
thing doing the action of the verb).

## Usage patterns

Looking at my copy of Shogakukan's 類語辞典【るいごじてん】 (Thesaurus), I see the
following useful table for words related to ideas of "the beginning or origin
of something":

[code]

        類語対比表【るいごたいひひょう】 
    　　　　　国【くに】の～　　　　　文明【ぶんめい】の～　　　　　日本人【にほんじん】の～　　　　　諸悪【しょあく】の～
    　　　(the country)　　(civilization)　　(Japanese people)　(one's troubles)
    始【はじ】まり　 　○　　　　　　　　○　　　　　　　　－　　　　　　　　　△
    始【はじ】め　　　 ○　　　　　　　　△　　　　　　　　－　　　　　　　　　－
    起源【きげん】　　　 ○　　　　　　　　○　　　　　　　　○　　　　　　　　　－
    根源【こんげん】　　　 －　　　　　　　　○　　　　　　　　△　　　　　　　　　○
    源【みなもと】　　　 －　　　　　　　　○　　　　　　　　－　　　　　　　　　○
    源流【げんりゅう】　 　 －　　　　　　　　○　　　　　　　　－　　　　　　　　　－
    
[/code]

The circle indicates appropriate usage, the triangle indicates borderline
usage (depends on context), and the dash indicates inappropriate usage.

From what I've understood, the difference between 国の[始]{●}[ま]{●}[り]{●} vs.
国の[始]{●}[め]{●} is a difference in emphasis: 始まり focuses on the start of the
nation, as something that begins on its own; meanwhile, 始め focuses on the
start of the nation, as something that people are doing.

### Difficulties

The 初め・始め distinction is a subtle one that even Japanese speakers have
questions about. [This web page](http://nihon-
go.jp/%E7%B4%9B%E3%82%89%E3%82%8F%E3%81%97%E3%81%84%E8%AA%9E/%E3%80%8C%E5%88%9D%E3%82%81%E3%80%8D%E3%81%A8%E3%80%8C%E5%A7%8B%E3%82%81%E3%80%8D%E3%81%AE%E9%81%95%E3%81%84/)
discusses the differences. Their main point:

>   * 「初（はじ）め」は、 **ある期間の早い段階、ものごとの最初** という意味をあらわします。
>   * 「始（はじ）め」は、 **ある時点から新たな行動をしたり、ものごとが起こったりすること** を意味します。「創（はじ）め」と書くこともあります。
>

>
> 基本的な意味として、「初め」は”最初”、「始め」は”開始”という意味であると考えるとよいでしょう。
>
> * * *
>
>   * 初め expresses a meaning of **the early stage of a period of time, the
> beginning of things**.
>   * 始め means **engaging in some new behavior, or things happening, from a
> particular point in time**.
>

>
> In terms of the basic meanings, it's probably good to think of 初め as meaning
> "the first", and 始め as meaning "the start".

