Japanese Time Markers for Story Order: hajime ni, tsugi ni, saigo ni
Learn to follow the order of events in a short Japanese story using the time markers hajime ni (first), tsugi ni (next), and saigo ni (finally), with a short reading passage and comprehension practice.
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
When you read a short story in Japanese, you do not need to understand every word to know what happened first, next, and last. Time markers are words that signal the order of events. In this lesson you will learn three essential ones: hajime ni (first), tsugi ni (next), and saigo ni (finally). You will see them inside a short passage, notice how they connect sentences, and answer comprehension questions about the sequence. This lesson focuses on understanding order, not on telling your own stories.
By the end, you can…
- recognize hajime ni, tsugi ni, and saigo ni in a short Japanese passage.
- identify which event happened first, next, and last in a simple story.
- answer sequence questions using the order signaled by these time markers.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
はじめに
first; at the beginning
hajime ni
Marks the first event or step in a sequence. Often at the start of a sentence. Written はじめに; the kanji form is 初めに.
つぎに
next; after that
tsugi ni
Marks the event that follows the first one. Can appear more than once in a longer sequence. Written つぎに; the kanji form is 次に.
さいごに
finally; last
saigo ni
Marks the final event in a sequence. Usually appears once, near the end. Written さいごに; the kanji form is 最後に.
それから
after that; and then
sore kara
A common alternative to tsugi ni. Marks the next event without a strict numbered order. Written それから; usually written in kana.
まず
first of all; to begin with
mazu
A short alternative to hajime ni. Very common in everyday spoken Japanese. Written まず; the kanji form is 先ず.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Time markers usually come at the beginning of a sentence and are followed by a comma. The pattern is: time marker + comma + event. For example: はじめに、こうえんへ行きました。 (Hajime ni, kōen e ikimashita. = First, I went to the park.) つぎに、べんとうを食べました。 (Tsugi ni, bentō o tabemashita. = Next, I ate a bento.) さいごに、しゃしんをとりました。 (Saigo ni, shashin o torimashita. = Finally, I took photos.) The marker tells you the order; the rest of the sentence tells you what happened. Note that へ in こうえんへ is pronounced e, not he, when it is used as a particle.
When to use it
Use hajime ni or mazu for the first event, tsugi ni or sore kara for middle events, and saigo ni for the last event. In a short story, these markers help you predict what comes next. For example, after reading はじめに、あさごはんを食べました。 (Hajime ni, asagohan o tabemashita. = First, I ate breakfast.), you can expect the next sentence to start with つぎに or それから. If you see さいごに, you know the sequence is ending. These markers describe the order of events, not clock times, so they work even when the story does not say when something happened.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
はじめに、なにをしましたか。
What did you do first?Hajime ni, nani o shimashita ka.はじめに、こうえんへ行きました。
First, I went to the park.Hajime ni, kōen e ikimashita.つぎに、なにをしましたか。
What did you do next?Tsugi ni, nani o shimashita ka.つぎに、べんとうを食べました。さいごに、しゃしんをとりました。
Next, I ate a bento. Finally, I took photos.Tsugi ni, bentō o tabemashita. Saigo ni, shashin o torimashita.A little context goes a long way
In Japanese, time markers like hajime ni and saigo ni are common in both spoken and written narratives, including children's stories and news reports. Using them makes the order clear without needing to repeat exact times. In casual conversation, mazu and sore kara are often preferred over hajime ni and tsugi ni, which can sound slightly formal or textbook-like. In more formal writing, the kanji forms 初めに, 次に, and 最後に are common, while それから and まず are frequently written in kana.
One thing to watch for
Thinking that tsugi ni always means 'second' in a numbered list.
Try this instead: Tsugi ni means 'next' and can appear multiple times. For a strict second item, Japanese often uses 二番目に (nibanme ni). In a sequence, use tsugi ni for any middle step: つぎに、本を読みました。 (Tsugi ni, hon o yomimashita. = Next, I read a book.)
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1In the sentence はじめに、あさごはんを食べました。つぎに、学校へ行きました。さいごに、本を読みました。 which event happened last?
Show a sample answer
Reading a book (本を読みました).
さいごに (saigo ni) marks the final event, which is reading a book. The other events are marked by hajime ni and tsugi ni.
2Which time marker would you expect before the middle event in a three-part story?
Show a sample answer
つぎに (tsugi ni) or それから (sore kara).
Both mark a next event. Tsugi ni is more neutral, while sore kara is common in casual speech. Either is correct for a middle event.
3Read: まず、でんしゃに乗りました。それから、えきで友だちに会いました。What happened first?
Show a sample answer
Getting on the train (でんしゃに乗りました).
まず (mazu) marks the first action, so getting on the train happened before meeting the friend. Sore kara marks the later event.
Look for hajime ni or mazu for the first event, tsugi ni or sore kara for the next, and saigo ni for the last. These markers let you follow a Japanese story's order even when you do not know every word.
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