て初めて (te mete)
Not until; only once something has happened; first time after that point
Meaning & usage
て初めて expresses that something happens or becomes clear only after a certain event takes place. It attaches to the te-form of a verb, often with なって初めて, and highlights that the second action could not occur before that point.
Example sentences 8
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あとになって初めて、それをやった理由を彼は説明した。
Only afterward did he explain why he did it.
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２０才になって初めて、彼女は歌手になろうと決心した。
She did not decide to be a singer until she reached the age of twenty.
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私はこの大学に入って初めて彼女と知り合いになった。
It was not until I entered this university that I got acquainted with her.
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山の方では、四月の末になって初めて地面から雪が消える。
In the mountains it is not until the end of April that the snow disappears completely from the ground.
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クニ子は生まれて初めて、そんなにたくさんお酒を飲んだ。
Kuniko has never drunk so much before in her life.
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私にとって初めての上京はわくわくすることでした。
It was exciting for me to go to the capital for the first time.
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その時になって初めて私たちが置かれている危険に気づいた。
Only then did I see the danger we were in.
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彼女はその本を読み終わって初めて誰が書いたのか気がついた。
It was not until she finished reading the book that she noticed who had written it.