～をはじめ
Starting with a representative example
You’ll be able to name a leading example and indicate that a wider group is included.
この湖をはじめ、近くにはきれいな場所がたくさんあります。
kono mizuumi o hajime, chikaku ni wa kirei na basho ga takusan arimasu.
What do you think this sentence means?
Starting with this lake, there are many beautiful places nearby.
Starting with a prime example
～をはじめ means “starting with” or “including, especially.” It introduces a representative example and implies that other similar examples are included too.
父をはじめ、家族みんなが喜びました。
chichi o hajime, kazoku minna ga yorokobimashita.
My whole family, starting with my father, was delighted.
りんごをはじめ、この村の果物はどれもおいしいです。
ringo o hajime, kono mura no kudamono wa dore mo oishii desu.
All the fruit from this village is delicious, starting with the apples.
Follow a representative noun
Attach をはじめ to a noun. The noun should be a notable example within the broader group described in the rest of the sentence. A more formal variant is ～をはじめとして.
野球をはじめ、いろいろなスポーツが好きです。
yakyuu o hajime, iroiro na supootsu ga suki desu.
Starting with baseball, I like various sports.
東京をはじめ、関東の各地で大雨が降りました。
toukyou o hajime, kantou no kakuchi de ooame ga furimashita.
Heavy rain fell across the Kanto region, including Tokyo.
社長をはじめ、多くの社員が駅前の清掃活動に参加した。
shachou o hajime, ooku no shain ga ekimae no seisou katsudou ni sanka shita.
Many employees, starting with the company president, took part in cleaning up the area in front of the station.
この店では、ラーメンをはじめ、ぎょうざやチャーハンも人気です。
kono mise de wa, raamen o hajime, gyouza ya chaahan mo ninki desu.
At this restaurant, ramen is popular, and so are gyoza and fried rice.
7 more examples in the grammar path — free for a limited time.