てはじめて / て初めて【てはじめて / てはじめて】

てはじめて means "only after", "not until": the て-form of a verb plus はじめて, "for the first time". Until the first half happened, the second half had not – usually a realisation, with わかる, きづく気づく or しる知る.

The second half reports what came of it. It is never a request, an invitation or a plan.

• × 日本に来てはじめて、日本語を勉強しましょう → 日本に来てから、日本語を勉強しましょう

てはじめて or てから

てから only puts one thing after another. てはじめて says the second could not have come any earlier.

Usage notes

These go beyond a single realisation in the past.

General truths

With ものだ at the end, or a plain non-past, the pattern states something that holds for anyone.

Spelling

はじめて is the kana spelling of はじめて初めて, and both are common. It is never 始めて, which belongs to 始める, "begin".

• × 日本に来て始めて → 日本に来て初めて