初伏

初

• 初中 chū zhōng ㄔㄨ ㄓㄨㄥ co1 zung1 junior high school (abbr. for 初级中学)
• 初期 chū qī ㄔㄨ ㄑㄧ co1 kei4 initial stage
• 初次 chū cì ㄔㄨ ㄘˋ co1 ci3 for the first time
• 初步 chū bù ㄔㄨ ㄅㄨˋ co1 bou6 initial
• 初等 chū děng ㄔㄨ ㄉㄥˇ co1 dang2 elementary (i.e. easy)

伏

• 埋伏 mái fú ㄇㄞˊ ㄈㄨˊ maai4 fuk6 to ambush
• 起伏 qǐ fú ㄑㄧˇ ㄈㄨˊ hei2 fuk6 to move up and down
• 此起彼伏 cǐ qǐ bǐ fú ㄘˇ ㄑㄧˇ ㄅㄧˇ ㄈㄨˊ ci2 hei2 bei2 fuk6 up here, down there (idiom); to rise and fall in succession
• 三伏 sān fú ㄙㄢ ㄈㄨˊ saam1 fuk6 the three annual periods of hot weather, namely 初伏, 中伏 and 末伏, which run consecutively over a period from mid-July to late August
• 中伏 zhōng fú ㄓㄨㄥ ㄈㄨˊ zung1 fuk6 the second of the three annual periods of hot weather (三伏), which begins in late July and lasts either 10 or 20 days, depending on the Chinese calendar in that year

• 初出茅庐 初出茅廬 chū chū máo lú ㄔㄨ ㄔㄨ ㄇㄠˊ ㄌㄨˊ co1 ceot1 maau4 lou4 venturing from one's thatched hut for the first time (idiom)
• 初露头角 初露頭角 chū lù tóu jiǎo ㄔㄨ ㄌㄨˋ ㄊㄡˊ ㄐㄧㄠˇ co1 lou6 tau4 gok3 lit. to first show one's horns (idiom); fig. a first show of emerging talent
• 悔不当初 悔不當初 huǐ bù dāng chū ㄏㄨㄟˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄤ ㄔㄨ fui3 bat1 dong1 co1 to regret one's past deeds (idiom)

• 此起彼伏 cǐ qǐ bǐ fú ㄘˇ ㄑㄧˇ ㄅㄧˇ ㄈㄨˊ ci2 hei2 bei2 fuk6 up here, down there (idiom); to rise and fall in succession
• 伏龙凤雏 伏龍鳳雛 fú lóng fèng chú ㄈㄨˊ ㄌㄨㄥˊ ㄈㄥˋ ㄔㄨˊ fuk6 lung4 fung6 co1 hidden genius (idiom)
• 老骥伏枥 老驥伏櫪 lǎo jì fú lì ㄌㄠˇ ㄐㄧˋ ㄈㄨˊ ㄌㄧˋ lou5 kei3 fuk6 lik1 lit. an old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop 1000 miles (idiom); fig. aged person with great aspirations