はじめて(hajimete) is the te-form of the verb はじめる(hajimeru) - to begin. How come
it means "for the first time" and is used appropriately to mean the whole
phrase? Is it an idiom?
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verbs etymology idioms
Why does "hajimete" mean "for the first time"?
There are two kanji with the same kun-reading "haji-". The kanji for
[_hajimete_](http://jisho.org/word/%E5%88%9D%E3%82%81%E3%81%A6) meaning "for
the first time" is [初](http://jisho.org/search/%E5%88%9D%20%23kanji), which
means _initial_ , _first_ , or _beginning_ but does not mean _to begin_. Don't
mix it with [始](http://jisho.org/search/%E5%A7%8B%20%23kanji), which means _to
begin_.

And yes, some te-forms have lexicalized and idiomatic meanings, and I think
初めて is one of them. You can see similar examples in this question: [What is
the role of あるいて?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/38564/5010)
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answer