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There is a song with title {hajimete no asa} and another song with title
{hajime no hi}. There is also a manga title {hajimete no aku}, and not to
forget the popular boxing manga {hajime no ippo}.

So what is the difference between 「はじめてのX」 {hajimete no X} and 「はじめのX」 {hajime
no X}? How do we choose to use one over the other?
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2011-06-02T02:52:31.293
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word-choice set-phrases
What is the difference between 「はじめてのX」 {hajimete no X} and 「はじめのX」 {hajime no X}?
はじめ _hajime_ is "the beginning", so はじめの日 _hajime no hi_ should be translated
as "The day of the beginning" or "The day it begun" and はじめの一歩 _hajime no
ippo_ as "The step that started it".

はじめて _hajimete_ is "for the first time", so はじめての朝 _hajimete no asa_ would be
"(My) first morning" and はじめてのあく _hajimete no aku_ would be "My first Aku"
(apparently officially "My first Mr. Akuno").

In normal English both expressions would usually be translated as "first"
though: "The first day", "The first step".

Compare:

  * 初めのキス _hajime no kisu_ \- **_The_** first kiss _("The kiss with which it began")_
  * 初めてのキス _hajimete no kisu_ \- **_(My)_** first kiss _("(My) first experience of kissing")_
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2011-06-02T03:40:34.553
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answer
「はじめてのX」refers to something that occurs _for the first time_ :

  * 初めてのデート (first date)
  * 初めての場所 (new place; a place one is visiting for the first time)
  * 初めての子ども (one's first child)

「はじめのX」refers something as it is _in the beginning_ of something:

  * 始めの段階 (beginning stage)
  * 初めの一歩 (first step; step at the beginning of a journey)
  * 学年の初めの日 (first day of school; the day when the school year begins)

[examples taken from [ALC](http://www.alc.co.jp/)]

To contrast the two, let's try replacing one with the other and seeing how the
meaning changes:

  * はじめの場所 (origin; place where one began)
  * 初めての一歩 (a baby's first step ever)
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2011-06-02T03:51:21.833
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answer