How to say “at first” like a native speaker
At the beginning of a situation, usually before something changed. It sets up a contrast with what happened later.
All phrases · Common idioms
Hear “at first” in real speech
Clip 1 · Robert Waldinger
The Secret to a Happy Life — Lessons from 8 Decades of Research | Robert Waldinger | TED · 2:15
About this video
Robert Waldinger discusses research following people through their adult lives and what it suggests about happiness and health. In conversation with an interviewer, he returns to the importance of relationships and their health benefits.
In context
both physically stronger and kept their brains sharper as they grew older.And we didn't believe the data at first.
We thought, how could this be that relationships actually get into our bodies and shape our health?
Clip 2 · Patrick Winston (MIT)
How to Speak · 55:31
About this video
Patrick Winston teaches a lecture about speaking and communicating ideas. He discusses the role of knowledge and practice, and uses presentation slides to illustrate choices that help or hinder an audience.
In context
Is this a good one?It might seem so at first, but here's the problem.
If you say these are my conclusions, these are perfectly legitimate conclusions that nobody cares about.
Clip 3 · Learn English with EnglishClass101.com
English Stories You Can Actually Understand | 30 Minutes of Comprehensible Input · 18:01
About this video
The narrator of this EnglishClass101 lesson tells adapted stories for listening practice. The opening retells The Boy Who Cried Wolf with a village chat, drones and a robot dog.
In context
He said, "This is the life."At first, he relaxed.
He drank tea, watched birds, picked apples.
When to use “at first”
- Describing a change of mind: “At first, I didn't like the song, but now I love it.”
- Explaining how a task became easier: “It was confusing at first. Then I found the instructions.”
Common learner mistake
Use “at first” for an initial state that changes; use “first” to list the first step in instructions.
Possible connected-speech patterns in “at first”
“At” is usually weak. Keep the ending ST of “first” compact instead of adding a vowel after it.
Related phrases
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