thoạt đầu
Definition
- Adverb:
- At first / Initially: Used to describe the beginning stage of a situation, action, or thought, before any changes or developments occur. It introduces the initial state or impression.
- At the outset: Refers to the very start or commencement of a process or event.
Usage Examples
- Adverb:
- Thoạt đầu, tôi không hiểu vấn đề. (At first, I did not understand the problem.)
- Thoạt đầu, dự án có vẻ đơn giản. (Initially, the project seemed simple.)
- Thoạt đầu, cô ấy không đồng ý. (At the outset, she did not agree.)
Advanced Usage
- The word is often used in narrative or explanatory contexts to set up a contrast with what happens later. It is typically followed by a clause describing a subsequent change or development.
- Thoạt đầu trời nắng, nhưng sau đó mưa rất to. (At first it was sunny, but later it rained heavily.)
Variants and Related Words
- Thoạt tiên (adv): A direct synonym with identical meaning and usage (at first, initially).
- Thoạt tiên, anh ấy rất ngạc nhiên. (At first, he was very surprised.)
Synonyms
- Initially: At the beginning.
- At first: In the initial stage.
- At the outset: At the very start.
- Originally: As existed or happened at the beginning.
Related Phrases
- Ngay từ đầu (adv): From the very beginning (emphasizing the starting point as continuous).
- Ngay từ đầu, chúng tôi đã biết. (We knew from the very beginning.)