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> 大谷選手がアメリカの大リーグの初めての試合でヒットを打つ  
>  Ootani makes a hit in his first (ever) match in the American major league.

I started wondering about when you can use 初めてのX. I understand はじめて means 'for
the first time', so I'm assuming this is his first ever game for America. If
it was his first game in his **second** season for America, for example, would
初めての試合 still be appropriate? If not, what would you say?

My guess is to use 最初の試合, but I really don't know. I saw [this
question](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/375/what-is-the-
difference-between-%E3%81%AF%E3%81%98%E3%82%81%E3%81%A6%E3%81%AEx-hajimete-no-
x-and-%E3%81%AF%E3%81%98%E3%82%81%E3%81%AEx-hajime-no-x) on the difference
between 初めのX and 初めてのX, but I wonder where 最初 fits into this?

[This question](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/6535/the-
difference-between-%E5%88%9D%E3%82%81%E3%81%A6-%E6%9C%80%E5%88%9D%E3%81%AB-
and-%E6%9C%80%E5%88%9D) is also highly related but I'm not sure it quite
answers my question.
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2018-03-30T09:39:17.420
57619
2018-03-31T08:20:45.540
2018-03-31T08:20:45.540
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question
grammar time
What situations can 初めてのX and 最初のX be used in?
short answer, you are correct about hajimete vs saishou. 初めてのX is the very
first of X, singling X out as a special event, not taking any other future
events into account. 最初のX is the first X of potentially more than one, and the
implication is that more will likely follow. so, 初めての試合 can only be that
person's first ever match (or first ever match with a given team, as that
would be an acceptable event to label as a "first ever") but 最初の試合 would imply
the first match with at least one more match to come. And you would not use
初めての試合 for his first match of the second season of the same league or for the
same team. 最初の試合 is the appropriate choice there.

Special "firsts" always use the 初めて form: first kiss, first love, first time
you ever saw/heard/learned about X, etc.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-30T10:11:17.513
57620
2018-03-30T10:11:17.513
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answer