diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 8282e93a69e18..1a3d87c3df55b 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ Language changes
   a function like other operators. The dotted version `.-->` is now parsed as well.
   For backwards compatibility, `-->` still parses using its own expression head
   instead of `:call`.
+* The `a[begin]` syntax now calls `firstindex(a,1)` rather than `first(axes(a,1))` ([#35779]).
 * `⌿` (U+233F) and `¦` (U+00A6) are now infix operators with times-like and plus-like precedence,
   respectively. Previously they were parsed as identifier characters ([#37973]).
 
diff --git a/src/julia-syntax.scm b/src/julia-syntax.scm
index 2d0aed8841661..49ce5b1fbf5dd 100644
--- a/src/julia-syntax.scm
+++ b/src/julia-syntax.scm
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@
   (if (null? tuples)
       (if (and last (= n 1))
           `(call (top firstindex) ,a)
-          `(call (top first) (call (top axes) ,a ,n)))
+          `(call (top firstindex) ,a ,n))
       (let ((dimno `(call (top +) ,(- n (length tuples))
                           ,.(map (lambda (t) `(call (top length) ,t))
                                  tuples))))