始発（しはつ、shihatsu）
- first train

The Japanese word 始発 (しはつ, *shihatsu*) means the first train, bus, or other form of public transportation of the day. It refers to the earliest service departing from a particular station or stop. It indicates the very beginning of the operating schedule for that mode of transport. It's the opposite of the last service (the final train or bus of the day). 始発 means "first departure."

⚫︎始発の電車に乗ります。 Translation: I will take the first train. ⚫︎明日の始発に乗って旅行に行きます。 Translation: I'm going on a trip tomorrow, taking the first train/bus. ⚫︎始発を逃してしまいました。 Translation: I missed the first train/bus.

You use 始発 when talking about catching the first service of the day. You can use it in various contexts like planning your travel schedule, discussing the transport timetable, or expressing disappointment if you miss it. It's a common word used by anyone who uses public transportation, especially commuters.

始発 is primarily written in kanji and hiragana: 始発. The reading is しはつ (shihatsu) in hiragana. There's no other way to write this word accurately. The okurigana (送りがな) is standard. 始発is the same no matter the mode of transportation.

⚫︎There aren't many direct synonyms, as the concept of the "first departure" is specific. However, you might use phrases like 一番最初の電車 (ichiban saisho no densha - the very first train) to convey a similar idea.

⚫︎終電 (しゅうでん, *shūden*) - last train/bus ⚫︎最終便 (さいしゅうびん, *saishūbin*) - final service/flight

東京駅の始発は5時です。 ・Translation: The first train from Tokyo Station is at 5 o'clock. ・Explanation: This sentence tells you the time of the first train's departure from Tokyo Station.

今日は寝坊して、始発に乗り遅れました。 ・Translation: I overslept today and missed the first train. ・Explanation: The sentence describes a situation where the speaker missed the first train due to sleeping in.

The word 始発 is formed from two kanji: 始 (*shi*) meaning "beginning" or "start" and 発 (*hatsu*) meaning "departure" or "dispatch." Together, they literally mean "first departure" or "starting departure," perfectly describing the function of the first transport service of the day.