be·gin

(bĭ-gĭn′)

v. be·gan (-găn′), be·gun (-gŭn′), be·gin·ning, be·gins

v.intr.

1. To perform or undergo the first part of an action; start: I began to email you but got interrupted. The rain began around noon.

2. To come into being: when life began.

3. To do or accomplish something in the least degree. Used in the negative with an infinitive: Those measures do not even begin to address the problem.

4. To say as the first in a series of remarks: "I didn't like the movie," he began.

a. To have as a first element or part: The play begins with a monologue.

b. To have as the lowest price in a range: Those shirts begin at $20.

c. To have as a first position, stage, or job: The restaurant began as a ice-cream parlor. The principal began as a math teacher.

v.tr.

1. To take the first step in doing; start: began work.

2. To cause to come into being; originate: an invention that began a new era.

3. To come first in (a series, for instance): The numeral 1 begins the sequence.

[Middle English biginnen, from Old English beginnan.]

Synonyms: begin , start , commence , launch¹, initiate , inaugurate
These verbs mean to take the initial step in doing something. Begin and start are the most general: The conductor began the program with a medley of waltzes. We started our journey in Montreal.
Commence is a more formal term and often implies that what is beginning is something of seriousness or importance: "ceremoniously brandishing the scalpel with which he was about to commence the apprentice's first lesson in anatomy" (John Gregory Brown).
Launch suggests beginning something with energy and expectation: She looked for a job that could launch her career as a journalist.
Initiate applies to taking the first steps in a process or procedure: I initiated a lawsuit against the driver who hit my car.
Inaugurate often connotes a formal beginning: "The exhibition inaugurated a new era of cultural relations" (Serge Schmemann).

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

begin

(bɪˈɡɪn)

vb, -gins, -ginning, -gan or -gun

1. to start or cause to start (something or to do something)

2. to bring or come into being for the first time; arise or originate

3. to start to say or speak

4. (used with a negative) to have the least capacity (to do something): he couldn't begin to compete with her.

5. to begin with in the first place

[Old English beginnan; related to Old High German biginnan, Gothic duginnan]

Begin

(ˈbɛɡɪn)

(Biography) Menachem (məˈnɑːkɪm). 1913–92, Israeli statesman, born in Poland. In Palestine after 1942, he became a leader of the militant Zionists; prime minister of Israel (1977–83); Nobel peace prize jointly with Sadat 1978. In 1979 he concluded the Camp David treaty with Anwar Sadat of Egypt

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

be•gin

(bɪˈgɪn)

v. be•gan, be•gun, be•gin•ning. v.i.

1. to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of an action; start.

2. to come into existence; arise; originate: The custom began during the war.

3. to have a first part: The name begins with a C.

v.t.

4. to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of: Begin the job tomorrow.

5. to originate; be the originator of: those who began the reform movement.

6. to succeed to the slightest extent in (fol. by an infinitive): The money won't begin to cover expenses.

[before 1000; Middle English beginnen, Old English beginnan]

syn: begin, commence, initiate, start (when followed by noun or gerund) refer to setting into motion or progress something that continues for some time. begin is the common term: to begin knitting a sweater. commence is a more formal word, often suggesting a more prolonged or elaborate beginning: to commence proceedings in court. initiate implies an active and often ingenious first act in a new field: to initiate a new procedure. start means to make a first move or to set out on a course of action: to start paving a street.

Be•gin

(ˈbeɪ gɪn)

n.

Menachem, 1913–92, Israeli political leader, born in Poland: prime minister 1977–83; Nobel peace prize 1978.

start

– begin

1. used with noun phrases

If you start or begin something, you do it from a particular time. There is no difference in meaning.

My father started work when he was fourteen.

We'll begin the meeting as soon as he arrives.

The past tense of begin is began. The -ed participle is begun.

The teacher opened the book and began the lesson.

The company has begun research on a new product.

2. used with other verbs

You can use a to-infinitive or an -ing form after start and begin.

Rafael started to run.

He started laughing.

I was beginning to feel better.

We began talking about our experiences.

Be Careful!
Don't use an -ing form after starting or beginning. Don't say, for example, 'I'm beginning understanding more'. You must say 'I'm beginning to understand more'.

3. used as intransitive verbs

Start and begin can be intransitive verbs, used to say that something happens from a particular time.

The show starts at 7.

My career as a journalist was about to begin.

4. special uses of 'start'

Start has some special meanings. You don't use 'begin' with any of these meanings.

You use start to say that someone makes a machine or engine start to work.

She started her car and drove off.

He couldn't get the engine started.

You use start to say that someone creates a business or other organization.

He borrowed money to start a restaurant.

Now is a good time to start your own business.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

begin

Past participle: begun
Gerund: beginning

Imperative
begin
begin

Present
I begin
you begin
he/she/it begins
we begin
you begin
they begin

Preterite
I began
you began
he/she/it began
we began
you began
they began

Present Continuous
I am beginning
you are beginning
he/she/it is beginning
we are beginning
you are beginning
they are beginning

Present Perfect
I have begun
you have begun
he/she/it has begun
we have begun
you have begun
they have begun

Past Continuous
I was beginning
you were beginning
he/she/it was beginning
we were beginning
you were beginning
they were beginning

Past Perfect
I had begun
you had begun
he/she/it had begun
we had begun
you had begun
they had begun

Future
I will begin
you will begin
he/she/it will begin
we will begin
you will begin
they will begin

Future Perfect
I will have begun
you will have begun
he/she/it will have begun
we will have begun
you will have begun
they will have begun

Future Continuous
I will be beginning
you will be beginning
he/she/it will be beginning
we will be beginning
you will be beginning
they will be beginning

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been beginning
you have been beginning
he/she/it has been beginning
we have been beginning
you have been beginning
they have been beginning

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been beginning
you will have been beginning
he/she/it will have been beginning
we will have been beginning
you will have been beginning
they will have been beginning

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been beginning
you had been beginning
he/she/it had been beginning
we had been beginning
you had been beginning
they had been beginning

Conditional
I would begin
you would begin
he/she/it would begin
we would begin
you would begin
they would begin

Past Conditional
I would have begun
you would have begun
he/she/it would have begun
we would have begun
you would have begun
they would have begun

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	Begin - Israeli statesman (born in Russia) who (as prime minister of Israel) negotiated a peace treaty with Anwar Sadat (then the president of Egypt) (1913-1992) Menachem Begin
Verb	1.	begin - take the first step or steps in carrying out an action; "We began working at dawn"; "Who will start?"; "Get working as soon as the sun rises!"; "The first tourists began to arrive in Cambodia"; "He began early in the day"; "Let's get down to work now" commence, set out, start, start out, set about, get down, get recommence - begin again; "we recommenced his reading after a short nap" strike out - set out on a course of action; "He struck out on his own" fall - begin vigorously; "The prisoners fell to work right away" jump off - set off quickly, usually with success; "The freshman jumped off to a good start in his math class" get to - arrive at the point of; "She gets to fretting if I stay away from home too long" auspicate - commence in a manner calculated to bring good luck; "They auspicated the trip with a bottle of champagne" attack - set to work upon; turn one's energies vigorously to a task; "I attacked the problem as soon as I got out of bed" break in - start in a certain activity, enterprise, or role launch, plunge - begin with vigor; "He launched into a long diatribe"; "She plunged into a dangerous adventure" come on - occur or become available; "water or electricity came on again after the earthquake" embark, enter - set out on (an enterprise or subject of study); "she embarked upon a new career" get moving, get rolling, get started, get weaving, bestir oneself, get cracking, get going - start to be active; "Get cracking, please!" begin - begin to speak, understand, read, and write a language; "She began Russian at an early age"; "We started French in fourth grade" terminate, end - bring to an end or halt; "She ended their friendship when she found out that he had once been convicted of a crime"; "The attack on Poland terminated the relatively peaceful period after WW I"
	2.	begin - have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative sense; "The DMZ begins right over the hill"; "The second movement begins after the Allegro"; "Prices for these homes start at $250,000" start break out, erupt - start abruptly; "After 1989, peace broke out in the former East Bloc" bud - start to grow or develop; "a budding friendship" break out - begin suddenly and sometimes violently; "He broke out shouting" begin, start - have a beginning characterized in some specified way; "The novel begins with a murder"; "My property begins with the three maple trees"; "Her day begins with a workout"; "The semester begins with a convocation ceremony" begin - have a beginning, of a temporal event; "WW II began in 1939 when Hitler marched into Poland"; "The company's Asia tour begins next month" kick in, set in - enter a particular state; "Laziness set in"; "After a few moments, the effects of the drug kicked in" dawn - appear or develop; "The age of computers had dawned" originate - begin a trip at a certain point, as of a plane, train, bus, etc.; "The flight originates in Calcutta" end, cease, terminate, finish, stop - have an end, in a temporal, spatial, or quantitative sense; either spatial or metaphorical; "the bronchioles terminate in a capillary bed"; "Your rights stop where you infringe upon the rights of other"; "My property ends by the bushes"; "The symphony ends in a pianissimo"
	3.	begin - set in motion, cause to start; "The U.S. started a war in the Middle East"; "The Iraqis began hostilities"; "begin a new chapter in your life" commence, lead off, start jumpstart, jump-start - start or re-start vigorously; "The Secretary of State intends to jumpstart the Middle East Peace Process" recommence - cause to start anew; "The enemy recommenced hostilities after a few days of quiet" usher in, inaugurate, introduce - be a precursor of; "The fall of the Berlin Wall ushered in the post-Cold War period" set off - set in motion or cause to begin; "The guide set the tour off to a good start" embark on, start up, commence, start - get off the ground; "Who started this company?"; "We embarked on an exciting enterprise"; "I start my day with a good breakfast"; "We began the new semester"; "The afternoon session begins at 4 PM"; "The blood shed started when the partisans launched a surprise attack" begin - have a beginning, of a temporal event; "WW II began in 1939 when Hitler marched into Poland"; "The company's Asia tour begins next month" terminate, end - bring to an end or halt; "She ended their friendship when she found out that he had once been convicted of a crime"; "The attack on Poland terminated the relatively peaceful period after WW I"
	4.	begin - begin to speak or say; "Now listen, friends," he began mouth, speak, talk, verbalise, verbalize, utter - express in speech; "She talks a lot of nonsense"; "This depressed patient does not verbalize"
	5.	begin - be the first item or point, constitute the beginning or start, come first in a series; "The number `one' begins the sequence"; "A terrible murder begins the novel"; "The convocation ceremony officially begins the semester" begin, start - have a beginning characterized in some specified way; "The novel begins with a murder"; "My property begins with the three maple trees"; "Her day begins with a workout"; "The semester begins with a convocation ceremony"
	6.	begin - have a beginning, of a temporal event; "WW II began in 1939 when Hitler marched into Poland"; "The company's Asia tour begins next month" commence, lead off, start, begin - set in motion, cause to start; "The U.S. started a war in the Middle East"; "The Iraqis began hostilities"; "begin a new chapter in your life" be - have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun); "John is rich"; "This is not a good answer" begin, start - have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative sense; "The DMZ begins right over the hill"; "The second movement begins after the Allegro"; "Prices for these homes start at $250,000"
	7.	begin - have a beginning characterized in some specified way; "The novel begins with a murder"; "My property begins with the three maple trees"; "Her day begins with a workout"; "The semester begins with a convocation ceremony" start begin, start - begin an event that is implied and limited by the nature or inherent function of the direct object; "begin a cigar"; "She started the soup while it was still hot"; "We started physics in 10th grade" be - have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun); "John is rich"; "This is not a good answer" begin, start - have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative sense; "The DMZ begins right over the hill"; "The second movement begins after the Allegro"; "Prices for these homes start at $250,000" begin - be the first item or point, constitute the beginning or start, come first in a series; "The number `one' begins the sequence"; "A terrible murder begins the novel"; "The convocation ceremony officially begins the semester"
	8.	begin - begin an event that is implied and limited by the nature or inherent function of the direct object; "begin a cigar"; "She started the soup while it was still hot"; "We started physics in 10th grade" start act, move - perform an action, or work out or perform (an action); "think before you act"; "We must move quickly"; "The governor should act on the new energy bill"; "The nanny acted quickly by grabbing the toddler and covering him with a wet towel" begin, start - have a beginning characterized in some specified way; "The novel begins with a murder"; "My property begins with the three maple trees"; "Her day begins with a workout"; "The semester begins with a convocation ceremony"
	9.	begin - achieve or accomplish in the least degree, usually used in the negative; "This economic measure doesn't even begin to deal with the problem of inflation"; "You cannot even begin to understand the problem we had to deal with during the war" achieve, attain, accomplish, reach - to gain with effort; "she achieved her goal despite setbacks"
	10.	begin - begin to speak, understand, read, and write a language; "She began Russian at an early age"; "We started French in fourth grade" begin, commence, set out, start, start out, set about, get down, get - take the first step or steps in carrying out an action; "We began working at dawn"; "Who will start?"; "Get working as soon as the sun rises!"; "The first tourists began to arrive in Cambodia"; "He began early in the day"; "Let's get down to work now"

begin

verb

1. start He stood up and began to walk around the room.
start end, stop, finish, cease, terminate

2. start, initiate, embark on, set about, commence, instigate, inaugurate, institute, make a beginning, set on foot The US wants to begin talks immediately

3. start talking, start, open, initiate, commence, lead off, institute, begin business, get or start the ball rolling He didn't know how to begin.

4. come into existence, start, appear, emerge, spring, be born, arise, dawn, be developed, be created, originate, commence, be invented, become available, crop up (informal), come into being It began as a local festival.

5. emerge, start, spring, stem, derive, issue, originate The fate line begins close to the wrist.
emerge cease, end, finish, stop

to begin with

6. at first, to start with, in the first place It was great to begin with but now it's difficult.

7. firstly To begin with, they doubt it's going to work.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

begin

verb

1. To go about the initial step in doing (something):

approach, commence, embark, enter, get off, inaugurate, initiate, institute, launch, lead off, open, set about, set out, set to, start, take on, take up, undertake.

Informal: kick off.

Idioms: get cracking, get going, get the show on the road.

2. To come into being:

arise, commence, originate, start.

Translations

يَبْدَأ يَبْدَأُ

začít

begynde

anfangen beginnen starten anbrechen

αρχίζω

komenci

empezar comenzar iniciar

alkaaaloittaa

commencer débuter aborder

početi

elkezdkezd

mulai

byrja

cominciare iniziare esordire incominciare

始める

시작하다

iš pradžiųnaujokaspradedantysispradėtipradžia

sāktsākties

начинать начать начаться начинаться пойти

začetizačeti se

börja

เริ่ม

başlamak

bắt đầu

开始

begin

[bɪˈgɪn] (began (pt) (begun (pp)))

A. VT

1. (= start) → empezar, comenzar
to begin doing sth; begin to do sth → empezar a hacer algo
it's beginning to rain → está empezando a llover
he begins the day with a glass of orange juice → empieza el día con un zumo de naranja
I can't begin to thank you → no encuentro palabras para agradecerle
it doesn't begin to compare with → no puede ni compararse con ...
this skirt began life as an evening dress → esta falda empezó siendo un traje de noche

2. (= undertake) → emprender; (= set in motion) → iniciar; [+ discussion] → entablar
I was foolish ever to begin it → hice mal en emprenderlo

B. VI

1. (= start) → empezar, comenzar, iniciarse (frm)
the work will begin tomorrow → el trabajo empezará or comenzará mañana
the teacher began by writing on the board → el profesor empezó escribiendo en la pizarra
let me begin by saying → quiero comenzar diciendo ...
beginning from Monday → a partir del lunes
to begin on sth → emprender algo
to begin with sth → comenzar por or con algo
to begin with, I'd like to know → en primer lugar, quisiera saber ...
to begin with there were only two of us → al principio sólo éramos dos

2. (= originate) [river] → nacer; [rumour, custom] → originarse

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

begin

[bɪˈgɪn] [began] [bɪˈgæn] (pt) [begun] [bɪˈgʌn] (pp)

[+ talks, book, career, ceremony] → commencer
to begin work (= start one's working day) → commencer à travailler
to begin to do sth, to begin doing sth [cry, laugh, sweat, sing] → se mettre à faire qch
He stood up and began to sing → Il se leva et se mit à chanter.
She began writing the book in 1995
BUT Elle a commencé à écrire ce livre en 1995.
People began to leave
BUT Les gens commençaient à partir.; [rain, snow] → se mettre à faire qch
It began to snow → Il s'est mis à neiger.
Snow began falling again
BUT La neige s'était remise à tomber.

(used emphatically) I can't begin to thank you → je ne sais comment vous remercier
you can't begin to imagine ... → tu ne peux pas t'imaginer ...
we can't begin to understand ... → on ne peut pas s'imaginer ...

vi (= start) → commencer
to begin with (= at first) → d'abord, pour commencer (= in the first place) → déjà pour commencer, pour commencer
To begin with, it's too expensive → Déjà, pour commencer, c'est trop cher.
to do sth to begin with (= first) → commencer par faire qch
You should invite your best friends to begin with → Tu devrais commencer par inviter tes meilleurs amis.
beginning from Monday → à partir de lundi

begin

pret <began>, ptp <begun>

(= start) → beginnen, anfangen; conversation also → anknüpfen; song also → anstimmen; bottle → anbrechen, anfangen; book, letter, new cheque book, new page → anfangen; rehearsals, work → anfangen mit; task → in Angriff nehmen, sich machen an (+acc); to begin to do something or doing something → anfangen or beginnen, etw zu tun; to begin working or to work on something → mit der Arbeit an etw (dat) → anfangen or beginnen; to begin an attack → zum Angriff schreiten; when did you begin (learning or to learn) English? → wann haben Sie angefangen, Englisch zu lernen?; she begins the job next week → sie fängt nächste Woche (bei der Stelle) an; he began his speech by saying that … → er leitete seine Rede damit or mit den Worten ein, dass …; to begin school → eingeschult werden, in die Schule kommen; to begin life as a … → als … anfangen or beginnen; she began to feel tired → sie wurde allmählich or langsam müde; she’s beginning to understand → sie fängt langsam an zu verstehen, sie versteht so langsam; his mother began to fear the worst → seine Mutter befürchtete schon das Schlimmste; I’d begun to think you weren’t coming → ich habe schon gedacht, du kommst nicht mehr; that doesn’t even begin to compare with … → das lässt sich nicht mal annähernd mit … vergleichen; they didn’t even begin to solve the problem → sie haben das Problem nicht mal annähernd gelöst; I couldn’t even begin to count the mistakes → ich konnte die Fehler überhaupt nicht zählen; I can’t begin to thank you for what you’ve done → ich kann Ihnen gar nicht genug dafür danken, was Sie getan haben

(= initiate, originate) → anfangen; fashion, custom, policy → einführen; society, firm, movement → gründen; (= cause) war → auslösen; he began the rumour (Brit) or rumor (US) → er hat das Gerücht in die Welt gesetzt

(= start to speak) → beginnen, anfangen; it’s late, he began → es ist spät, begann er or fing or hub (old) → er an

(= start) → anfangen, beginnen; (new play etc) → anlaufen; to begin by doing something → etw zuerst (einmal) tun; he began by saying that … → er sagte eingangs or einleitend, dass …; where the hair begins → am Haaransatz; before school begins → vor Schulanfang; to begin in business → ins Geschäftsleben eintreten; (as self-employed) → ein Geschäft aufmachen; beginning from Monday → ab Montag, von Montag an; beginning from page 10 → von Seite 10 an; say your names beginning from the back → nennen Sie Ihre Namen von hinten nach vorn; it all/the trouble began when … → es fing alles/der Ärger fing damit an, dass …; to begin with somebody/something → mit jdm/etw anfangen; begin with me → fangen Sie bei or mit mir an; he began with the intention of writing a thesis → anfänglich wollte er eine Doktorarbeit schreiben; to begin with there were only three → anfänglich waren es nur drei; this is wrong to begin with → das ist schon einmal falsch; to begin with, this is wrong, and … → erstens einmal ist das falsch, dann …; to begin on something → mit etw anfangen or beginnen; to begin on a new venture/project → ein neues Unternehmen/Projekt in Angriff nehmen

(= come into being) → beginnen, anfangen; (custom) → entstehen; (river) → entspringen; since the world began → seit (An)beginn or Anfang der Welt; when did this movement begin? → seit wann gibt es diese Bewegung?

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

begin

[bɪˈgɪn] (began (vb: pt) (begun (pp)))

1. vt (gen) → cominciare, incominciare, iniziare; (originate, fashion) → lanciare; (custom) → inaugurare; (war) → scatenare
to begin doing sth, to begin to do sth → incominciare or iniziare a fare qc
it began to rain → ha cominciato or si è messo a piovere
this skirt began life as an evening dress → questa gonna in origine era un abito da sera
it doesn't begin to compare with ... → non c'è nemmeno da paragonarlo con...
I can't begin to thank you → non so proprio come ringraziarti

2. vi → incominciare, cominciare; (fashion, custom) → nascere; (rumour) → spargersi
to begin with sth/by doing sth → cominciare con qc/col fare qc
to begin on sth → cominciare qc
let me begin by saying ... → permettetemi di cominciare col dire...
to begin with, I'd like to know ... → tanto per cominciare vorrei sapere...
to begin with there were only two of us → all'inizio eravamo solo in due
beginning on Monday → a partire da lunedì
the service began at 9 a.m. → la funzione ha avuto inizio alle 9

begin

(biˈgin) – present participle beˈginning: past tense began (biˈgan) : past participle begun (biˈgan) – verb

to come or bring, into being, to start. He began to talk; The meeting began early.

beˈginning noun

beˈginner noun

someone who is just learning how to do something. `Does he paint well?' `He's not bad for a beginner'.

to begin with

1. at first. I didn't like him to begin with, but now he's one of my best friends.

2. firstly. There are many reasons why I don't like her – to begin with, she doesn't tell the truth.

begin

→ يَبْدَأُ začít begynde beginnen αρχίζω empezar alkaa commencer početi iniziare 始める 시작하다 beginnen begynne rozpocząć começar начинать(ся) börja เริ่ม başlamak bắt đầu 开始

begin

v. comenzar, empezar, principiar.

begin

vt, vi comenzar, empezar