sensushiClassroom

N2 — outside your level filter

て初はじめて

てはじめてte hajimeteN2neutral

savor + (and…) + only after doing

ajiwatte hajimete

only after doing; not until doing — the trigger for a realization

meaning: only after savoring

Same meaning

  • 味あじわう
  • 〜てはじめて
  • 味あじわってはじめて

正直しょうじき、味あじわってはじめて、日本語にほんごの難むずかしさが分わかった。

shoujiki, ajiwatte hajimete, nihongo no muzukashisa ga wakatta.

Honestly, only after savoring did I realize how difficult Japanese is. casual

実際じっさいに住すんではじめて、その街まちの良よさが分わかった。

jissai ni sunde hajimete, sono machi no yosa ga wakatta.

It was only after actually living there that I understood the town's charm. neutral

Same meaning5

after doing; once X is done

only by doing X; not unless

All examples3

only after doing; not until doing — the trigger for a realization

  1. 正直しょうじき、留学りゅうがくしてはじめて、日本語にほんごの難むずかしさが分わかった。

    shoujiki, ryuugakushite hajimete, nihongo no muzukashisa ga wakatta.

    Honestly, only after studying abroad did I realize how difficult Japanese is. casual

  2. 実際じっさいに住すんではじめて、その街まちの良よさが分わかった。

    jissai ni sunde hajimete, sono machi no yosa ga wakatta.

    It was only after actually living there that I understood the town's charm. neutral

  3. 自みずから現場げんばに立たってはじめて、問題もんだいの深刻しんこくさを理解りかいいたしました。

    mizukara genba ni tatte hajimete, mondai no shinkokusa o rikai itashimashita.

    It was only after standing on-site myself that I truly understood the gravity of the problem. formal

How it's formed1

Notes

What follows is almost always a realization word (わかる, 気きづく, 知しる).
て初はじめて rarely closes a sentence that isn't reporting something newly
understood.