01
der Anfangsbuchstabe
initial letter
The first letter of a word, a name, or a sentence.
example
Der Anfangsbuchstabe von „Apfel“ ist „A“.
The initial letter of 'Apfel' (apple) is 'A'.
der Anfangsbuchstabe
initial letter
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Meanings
Usage tips
Compound word
The word is a clear compound of 'Anfang' (beginning) and 'Buchstabe' (letter). The 's' in the middle is a linking -s that connects the two words. The meaning is literal: the letter at the beginning.
EXAMPLE
Nomen erkennt man oft daran, dass ihr Anfangsbuchstabe großgeschrieben wird.
Nouns can often be recognized by the fact that their initial letter is capitalized.
Typical collocations
Common verbs used with 'Anfangsbuchstabe' (initial letter) are 'großschreiben' (to capitalize) or 'kleinschreiben' (to write in lowercase). It is also often used in contexts like 'nach dem Anfangsbuchstaben sortieren' (to sort by initial letter).
EXAMPLE
Bitte sortieren Sie die Liste der Teilnehmer nach dem Anfangsbuchstaben des Nachnamens.
Please sort the list of participants by the initial letter of their last name.
Usage pattern
To say what the letter is the first letter of, you usually use the structure 'der Anfangsbuchstabe von' (the initial letter of) followed by a noun in the dative.
EXAMPLE
Was ist der Anfangsbuchstabe von deinem Vornamen?
What is the initial letter of your first name?
Compare with
Anfangsbuchstabe vs Initiale
initial
'die Initiale' and 'der Anfangsbuchstabe' often mean the same thing: the first letter of a name or word. 'Anfangsbuchstabe' is very direct and easy to understand in everyday language. 'Initiale' sounds somewhat more formal and is used especially often with names, for example a person's initials. In many situations, you can use both words. If you want to speak especially simply, 'Anfangsbuchstabe' is usually the clearer choice.
Anfangsbuchstabe
Der Anfangsbuchstabe ihres Nachnamens ist schwer zu lesen.
The initial letter of her last name is hard to read.
Initiale
Karim hat seine Initialen auf das Formular geschrieben.
Karim wrote his initials on the form.
In real life
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