初步
chū bù HSK 6

English Meaning

📚 Example Sentences

这是我们的初步计划。
Zhè shì wǒmen de chūbù jìhuà.
This is our initial plan.
调查取得了初步成果。
Diàochá qǔdé le chūbù chéngguǒ.
The investigation achieved initial results.
初步分析显示问题不大。
Chūbù fēnxī xiǎnshì wèntí bù dà.
Preliminary analysis shows the problem is not serious.
这是初步计划。
Zhè shì chūbù jìhuà.
This is the initial plan.
我有初步想法。
Wǒ yǒu chūbù xiǎngfǎ.
I have a preliminary idea.

💡 Memory Tip

Break it down: 初 (chū) means 'initial' or 'beginning,' and 步 (bù) means 'step.' Think of it as the 'first step' in a process—like a preliminary investigation.

📝 Usage Notes

This word is neutral in formality and commonly used in both spoken and written Chinese, especially in formal, academic, or professional contexts like reports, news, or research. It often modifies nouns related to stages, results, or assessments.

📖 Grammar Points

初步 is typically used as an attributive adjective before nouns (e.g., 初步调查) or in adverbial phrases with 地 (e.g., 初步地了解). It can also appear in structures like 根据初步... (according to preliminary...), as in the example sentence.

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese professional or bureaucratic contexts, using 初步 can imply caution, indicating that information is not final and may change, which aligns with cultural values of prudence and thoroughness.

🔄 Similar Words

初步 vs. 初级 (chūjí): 初步 refers to an early stage in a process (e.g., 初步调查 - preliminary investigation), while 初级 means 'elementary' or 'basic' in terms of level or difficulty (e.g., 初级课程 - beginner course). Both imply a starting point, but 初步 is more about sequence, and 初级 is about hierarchy or simplicity.

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