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JLPT N3 · Sentence patterns

をはじめ (o hajime)

～をはじめ — starting with ～ / ～ and others

In short · Gives one typical or leading example and implies that many others are included too: “starting with ～, (and others).” It follows a noun, and the second half talks about the whole group. It is a slightly formal expression.
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Pattern

  • 名詞＋をはじめ（として／とする） noun + をはじめ + the whole group (社長をはじめ、社員全員)

How to use it

In “A をはじめ B,” A is a typical example or the central person or thing, and B is the whole group including A (all the employees, various crops, and so on). 社長をはじめ、社員全員が参加した means “the president and all the other employees.”

Form and cautions

Before a noun it becomes をはじめとする (社長をはじめとする社員), and before a verb you may also hear をはじめとして. B must be of the same kind as A. In 米をはじめ、さまざまな農作物, A is the most prominent item in the same group.

Examples

  • 社長（しゃちょう）をはじめ、社員（しゃいん）全員（ぜんいん）が参加（さんか）した。

    Shachō o hajime, shain zen'in ga sanka shita.

    Everyone, starting with the president, participated.

    The president is the leading example.

  • この国（くに）には、米（こめ）をはじめ、さまざまな農作物（のうさくもつ）がある。

    Kono kuni ni wa, kome o hajime, samazama na nōsakubutsu ga aru.

    This country has various crops, starting with rice.

    Rice is the most typical crop.

  • 両親（りょうしん）をはじめ、家族（かぞく）みんなが賛成（さんせい）してくれた。

    Ryōshin o hajime, kazoku minna ga sansei shite kureta.

    My whole family, starting with my parents, agreed.

    Parents come first, then the rest of the family.

Common mistakes

  • B must be of the same kind as A: × 社長をはじめ、机が壊れた.
  • To modify a noun use をはじめとする: 社長をはじめとする社員.

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