| 开始 | kāi shǐ | to begin; beginning; to start; initial; CL:个 |
| 始 | shǐ | to begin; to start; then; only then |
| 始终 | shǐ zhōng | from beginning to end; all along |
| 原始 | yuán shǐ | first; original; primitive; original (document etc) |
| 创始 | chuàng shǐ | to initiate; to found |
| 原始社会 | yuán shǐ shè huì | primitive society |
| 起始 | qǐ shǐ | originate |
| 初始 | chū shǐ | initial; starting (point) |
| 自始至终 | zì shǐ zhì zhōng | from start to finish (idiom) |
| 更始 | gēng shǐ | to make a new start; to regenerate |
| 周而复始 | zhōu ér fù shǐ | lit. the cycle comes back to the start (idiom); to move in circles; the wheel comes full circle |
| 始祖 | shǐ zǔ | primogenitor; founder of a school or trade |
| 未始 | wèi shǐ | not necessarily; may not turn out to be; maybe not |
| 始末 | shǐ mò | whole story; the ins and outs |
| 始终如一 | shǐ zhōng rú yī | unswerving from start to finish (idiom) |
| 伊始 | yī shǐ | beginning; henceforth |
| 倡始 | chàng shǐ | to initiate |
| 创始人 | chuàng shǐ rén | creator; founder; initiator |
| 创始者 | chuàng shǐ zhě | creator; initiator |
| 原始林 | yuán shǐ lín | old growth forest; primary forest; original forest cover |
| 原始热带雨林 | yuán shǐ rè dài yǔ lín | virgin tropical rainforest |
| 善始善终 | shàn shǐ shàn zhōng | where there's a start, there's a finish (idiom); to finish once one starts sth; to carry things through; I started, so I'll finish. |
| 固始 | Gù shǐ | Gushi county in Xinyang 信阳, Henan |
| 固始县 | Gù shǐ xiàn | Gushi county in Xinyang 信阳, Henan |
| 报本反始 | bào běn fǎn shǐ | ensure that you pay debts of gratitude (idiom) |
| 始作俑者 | shǐ zuò yǒng zhě | lit. the first person to bury funerary dolls (idiom); fig. the originator of an evil practice (refers to Mencius 孟子) |
| 始建 | shǐ jiàn | to start building; first built |
| 始新世 | Shǐ xīn shì | Eocene (geological epoch from 55m-34m years ago) |
| 始新纪 | shǐ xīn jì | Eocene (geological epoch from 55m-34m years ago) |
| 始新统 | shǐ xīn tǒng | Eocene system (geology) |
| 始祖鸟 | shǐ zǔ niǎo | Archaeopteryx |
| 始兴 | Shǐ xīng | Shixing county in Shaoguan 韶关, Guangdong |
| 始兴县 | Shǐ xīng xiàn | Shixing county in Shaoguan 韶关, Guangdong |
| 始点 | shǐ diǎn | starting point; initial point |
| 建始 | Jiàn shǐ | Jianshi county in Enshi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture 恩施土家族苗族自治州, Hubei |
| 建始县 | Jiàn shǐ xiàn | Jianshi county in Enshi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture 恩施土家族苗族自治州, Hubei |
| 摩登原始人 | Mó dēng Yuán shǐ rén | The Flintstones (TV Series) |
| 旬始 | xún shǐ | comet from Saturn, traditionally described as yellow; evil omen |
| 有始有终 | yǒu shǐ yǒu zhōng | where there's a start, there's a finish (idiom); to finish once one starts sth; to carry things through; I started, so I'll finish. |
| 有始无终 | yǒu shǐ wú zhōng | to start but not finish (idiom); to fail to carry things through; lack of sticking power; short attention span |
| 秦始皇 | Qín Shǐ huáng | Qin Shihuang (259-210 BC), the first emperor |
| 秦始皇帝 | Qín Shǐ Huáng dì | the First Emperor 259-210 BC |
| 秦始皇帝陵 | Qín Shǐ Huáng dì líng | the mausoleum of the First Emperor near Xi'an |
| 秦始皇陵 | Qín Shǐ huáng líng | the tomb of the first emperor at Mt Li 骊山 near Xi'an (awaits excavation) |
| 终而复始 | zhōng ér fù shǐ | lit. the end comes back to the start (idiom); the wheel comes full circle |
| 肇始 | zhào shǐ | to initiate; to start; the start |
| 自始 | zì shǐ | from the outset; ab initio |
| 至始至终 | zhì shǐ zhì zhōng | from start to finish |
| 重新开始 | chóng xīn kāi shǐ | to resume; to restart; to start afresh |
| 开始以前 | kāi shǐ yǐ qián | before the beginning (of sth) |
