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I've tried google translate, but it doesn't seem like what I'm trying to translate is quite right (at least I'm not sure if it's correct).

To say "end of the month", I have heard people say "这月底“，but is there a complement to that for "beginning of the month"?

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    月初 is okay. I might also say 月头.
    – hrzhu
    Commented Jan 28, 2014 at 2:46
  • Are you trying to say the first day or days of a month? As beginning of the month changes it's meaning depending on context
    – 50-3
    Commented Jan 28, 2014 at 4:08
  • @50-3 could you provide both?
    – MarkE
    Commented Jan 28, 2014 at 4:23
  • 月初 is the proper word. To my ear 月头 sounds very dialectal and I've never heard it before.
    – agriprop
    Commented Jan 28, 2014 at 7:52
  • Yes, 「月头」 sounds sort of dialectal. But it is definitely in use. Check this link
    – hrzhu
    Commented Jan 28, 2014 at 8:48

2 Answers 2

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There are lots of translations. What @agriprop said is probably the most common translation----月初----both in spoken and written Language.

月初 对应着 月末,月底(end of month)

What @CA55CE37 answered should not have 本, here 本 means this month. You cannot use it to describe other month. However 月起 is not a word. I never heard. While 伊始 is a very formal word that we often used in written Chinese. 伊始 means the beginning. 伊始 is often used as adverb to describe that we begin to do something. The usage of 伊始: verb+伊始----the beginning of doing something.

refer:

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Besides what hrzhu says, you can also say:

本月起，本月伊始

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  • I didn't down-vote you. I would read 「本月起」 as starting from this month rather than the beginning of the month. 「本月伊始」 is okay, 「伊始」 sounds artsy to me though.
    – hrzhu
    Commented Jan 28, 2014 at 8:46
  • 伊始 is way too literary.
    – deutschZuid
    Commented Jan 28, 2014 at 22:54
  • 伊始 is not too literary. It is common.
    – tomriddle_1234
    Commented Jan 28, 2014 at 22:55
  • 「伊始」 is definitely common. It appears mostly in written form.
    – hrzhu
    Commented Jan 29, 2014 at 2:24

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