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

<p>月初 对应着 月末,月底(end of month)</p>

<p>What @CA55CE37 answered should not have <code>本</code>, here <code>本</code> means this month. You cannot use it to describe other month. However <code>月起</code> is not a word. I never heard. While <code>伊始</code> is a very formal word that we often used in written Chinese. <a href="http://www.zdic.net/c/a/8/12020.htm" rel="nofollow">伊始</a> means the beginning. <code>伊始</code> is often used as adverb to describe that we begin to do something. The usage of <code>伊始</code>: verb+伊始----the beginning of doing something.</p>

<p>refer:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/detail/%E6%9C%88%E5%88%9D/52961" rel="nofollow">http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/detail/%E6%9C%88%E5%88%9D/52961</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.zdic.net/c/8/94/168956.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.zdic.net/c/8/94/168956.htm</a></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-28T09:36:39.710Z
2014-01-28T09:36:39.710Z
einverne
<p>Besides what hrzhu says, you can also say:</p>

<p>本月起，本月伊始</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-28T08:46:44.137Z
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
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-28T22:54:07.153Z
伊始 is way too literary.
deutschZuid
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-28T22:55:56.473Z
伊始 is not too literary. It is common.
tomriddle_1234
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-29T02:24:59.157Z
「伊始」 is definitely common. It appears mostly in written form.
hrzhu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-28T05:05:05.873Z
2014-01-28T05:05:05.873Z
xqMogvKW
<p>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).</p>

<p>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"?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-28T02:46:21.260Z
月初 is okay. I might also say 月头.
hrzhu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-28T04:08:02.377Z
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
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-28T04:23:32.050Z
@50-3 could you provide both?
MarkE
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-28T07:52:58.523Z
月初 is the proper word. To my ear 月头 sounds very dialectal and I've never heard it before.
agriprop
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-28T08:48:16.003Z
Yes, 「月头」 sounds sort of dialectal. But it is definitely in use. Check this [link](http://www.zdic.net/c/8/94/168991.htm)
hrzhu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-28T22:54:22.437Z
Do not use 月头， it is a weird way of saying this. Your source indicated it's only used in classical books.
tomriddle_1234
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-28T22:58:32.110Z
I haven't heard it used in mandarin, but I know that this is a very common way of saying it in Cantonese
Yao Bo Lu
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-01-29T02:09:27.090Z
@tomriddle_1234 It's not weird to me and not just used in classical I think it's another example of regional usage. Someone commented that it's common in Cantonese and it's also common in Shanghainese. It might not be common in Mandarin though. That's why I put 月初 first.
hrzhu
<translation>
How to say "beginning of the month?"
# How to say "beginning of the month?"

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-01-28)

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"?

**Tags:** translation
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 月初 is okay. I might also say 月头.  
> **username_2**: 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  
> **username_0**: @50-3 could you provide both?  
> **username_3**: 月初 is the proper word. To my ear 月头 sounds very dialectal and I've never heard it before.  
> **username_1**: Yes, 「月头」 sounds sort of dialectal. But it is definitely in use. Check this [link](http://www.zdic.net/c/8/94/168991.htm)  
> **username_4**: Do not use 月头， it is a weird way of saying this. Your source indicated it's only used in classical books.  
> **username_5**: I haven't heard it used in mandarin, but I know that this is a very common way of saying it in Cantonese  
> **username_1**: @tomriddle_1234 It's not weird to me and not just used in classical I think it's another example of regional usage. Someone commented that it's common in Cantonese and it's also common in Shanghainese. It might not be common in Mandarin though. That's why I put 月初 first.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2014-01-28. Score: 4

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](http://www.zdic.net/c/a/8/12020.htm) 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:

* <http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/detail/%E6%9C%88%E5%88%9D/52961>
* <http://www.zdic.net/c/8/94/168956.htm>


---

### Answer by username_7 on 2014-01-28. Score: 0

Besides what hrzhu says, you can also say:

本月起，本月伊始

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 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.  
> **username_8**: 伊始 is way too literary.  
> **username_4**: 伊始 is not too literary. It is common.  
> **username_1**: 「伊始」 is definitely common. It appears mostly in written form.  

---

