directional, adverb · the initial stage or start of a period of time or a process

这本小说描写了二十世纪初的社会变革。

time word, directional · an ordinal prefix used primarily for the first ten days of a lunar month

每年正月初一，家里人都会聚在一起吃团圆饭。

directional · pertaining to a basic or elementary level of education, skill, or ranking

这套教材的内容按照由初到深的顺序排列。