Begin the word meaning

intransitive verb

1

: to do the first part of an action : go into the first part of a process : start

began by introducing herself

2

a

: to come into existence : arise

Their problems were just beginning.

b

: to have a starting point

Her career began in Chicago.

Prices begin at $110 per night.

3

: to do or succeed in the least degree

I can’t begin to tell you how pleased I am.

transitive verb

1

: to set about the activity of : start

They began the lecture at 10:00.

have already begun construction

2

a

: to bring into being : found

credited with beginning the movement

In 1819, he married the daughter of a … chief and began a dynasty that would last for nearly 200 years.Robert F. Oaks

Phrases

to begin with

: as the first thing to be considered

Synonyms

Choose the Right Synonym for begin

begin, commence, start, initiate, inaugurate, usher in mean to take the first step in a course, process, or operation.

begin, start, and commence are often interchangeable.

begin, opposed to end, is the most general.

start, opposed to stop, applies especially to first actions, steps, or stages.

initiate implies taking a first step in a process or series that is to continue.



initiated diplomatic contacts

inaugurate suggests a beginning of some formality or notion of significance.



the discovery of penicillin inaugurated a new era in medicine



ushered in a period of economic decline

Example Sentences



They will begin construction on the new school soon.



I got the job and I begin work on Monday!



She’ll begin the lecture at 10.



He plans to begin the project later this week.



They both began their careers at the local newspaper.



The university began accepting applications in November.



I had just begun eating when the phone rang.



She interrupted as soon as I began to speak.



Now that I’ve begun, I’ll go on till I finish.



I began the quilt last month.

See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Jury selection in Trejo’s trial was to begin on Monday, said District Attorney Pamela Casey, but Trejo failed to show.


Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 5 Apr. 2023





Officials posted on the village’s Facebook page that IDOT is expected to begin work on the roadway the week of April 10.


Pioneer Press Staff, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2023





These are projects that, for whatever reason (middling sales, negative reviews, a misunderstood stylistic shift) have fallen slightly out of fashion — or perhaps never reached it to begin with.


Ryan Reed, SPIN, 4 Apr. 2023





At the time, Dionne was reportedly set to begin production by the end of 2016, but the project does not appear to have ever made it out of pre-production.


Tommy Mcardle, Peoplemag, 4 Apr. 2023





And on Monday night, the Dodgers got a first chance to begin taking stock, marking the unofficial start of a prospect pitching battle that could last the entire year.


Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2023





The first round of the NBA playoffs is scheduled to begin on April 15.


Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 4 Apr. 2023





There’s no word yet on when HKS Holdings plans to begin construction on the hotel.


Tom Daykin, Journal Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2023





Production is set to begin this month.


Jessica Wang, EW.com, 4 Apr. 2023



See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘begin.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English beginnen, going back to Old English beginnan, from be- be- + -ginnan, going back to Germanic *genn-a-, verbal base of uncertain meaning and origin occurring only with prefixes, found also in Old English onginnan «to be at a starting point, start,» Old High German beginnan, Gothic duginnan

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of begin was
before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near begin

Cite this Entry

“Begin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/begin. Accessed 13 Apr. 2023.

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More from Merriam-Webster on begin

Last Updated:
6 Apr 2023
— Updated example sentences

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Merriam-Webster unabridged

[bıʹgın] (began; begun)

1. начинать; приступать ()

to begin at the beginning — начинать с самого начала

to begin again — начать снова /сначала/

that’s wrong, let’s begin again — это неправильно, давайте начнём сначала /повторим/

to begin on — а) браться за (); б) брать начало от ()

to begin over — начинать сызнова

to begin upon = to begin on

to begin with — начать с () [ тж. 2 ]

to begin the score — открывать счёт

he began studying /to study/ English — он начал изучать английский язык

he began his breakfast — он принялся за завтрак

we begin at page three — начнём с третьей страницы

where to begin? — с чего начать?

where do we begin? — с чего мы начнём?

I do not know how to begin — а) не знаю, с чего начать; б) не знаю, за что взяться; ≅ работы по горло

2. начинаться

to begin with — начинаться с () [ тж. 1 ]

the word begins with a capital letter — слово начинается с заглавной буквы

the play begins with a prologue — пьеса начинается с пролога /открывается прологом/

the performance begins at seven — представление начинается в 7 часов

it is beginning to rain — начинается дождь

when did life begin on Earth? — когда возникла жизнь на Земле?

3. основывать, создавать

they began the club a year ago — клуб открыли год назад

4. (

с отрицанием)

эмоц.-усил. быть далёким от, даже не приближаться к

the machine does not begin to meet the specifications — машина ни в коей мере не отвечает техническим условиям

I do not begin to understand you — отказываюсь вас понимать; я совершенно вас не понимаю

they do not begin to compare — их совершенно нельзя сравнивать; ≅ одному далеко до другого

the statement does not begin to be comprehensible enough — заявление крайне невразумительно

to begin with — а) во-первых, прежде всего; начать с того, что …; to begin with, I did not see him — во-первых, я его не видел; б) сначала, на первых порах; [ тж. 1, 2 ]

to begin at the wrong end — начать не с того конца, неудачно взяться за дело

to begin the world — начинать самостоятельную жизнь

well begun is half done — хорошее начало полдела откачало

Новый большой англо-русский словарь.
2001.

  • Afrikaans: begin (af)
  • Albanian: nis (sq), filloj (sq)
  • American Sign Language: 1@InFinger-PalmDown-OpenB@CenterChesthigh 1@InFinger-PalmUp-OpenB@CenterChesthigh
  • Amharic: please add this translation if you can
  • Arabic: بَدَأَ (ar) (badaʔa), اِبْتَدَأَ(ibtadaʔa), شَرَعَ (ar) (šaraʕa)
    Hijazi Arabic: بدأ(badaʾ), بدا(bada)
  • Aragonese: please add this translation if you can
  • Armenian: սկսել (hy) (sksel)
  • Aromanian: ahurhescu, ãnchisescu, apãrnjescu, ntsep
  • Asturian: entamar (ast), empezar, comenzar (ast), aniciar
  • Azerbaijani: başlamaq (az)
  • Bashkir: башлау (başlaw), (Eastern) баштау (baştaw)
  • Basque: hasi (eu)
  • Belarusian: (transitive) пачына́ць impf (pačynácʹ), пача́ць pf (pačácʹ); (intransitive) пачына́цца impf (pačynácca), пача́цца (pačácca)
  • Bengali: শুরু করা (bn) (śuru kora), আরম্ভ করা (arombho kora)
  • Breton: kregiñ (br)
  • Bulgarian: запо́чвам (bg) impf (zapóčvam), по́чвам (bg) impf (póčvam), по́чна (bg) pf (póčna)
  • Burmese:  (my) (ca.)
  • Catalan: començar (ca), iniciar (ca)
  • Cebuano: sugod
  • Cherokee: ᎠᎴᏅᏗ (alenvdi)
  • Chinese:
    Cantonese: 開始开始 (hoi1 ci2)
    Mandarin: 開始开始 (zh) (kāishǐ)
  • Czech: začínat (cs) impf, začít (cs) pf
  • Dalmatian: nizuor
  • Danish: begynde (da)
  • Dutch: beginnen (nl), aanvangen (nl)
  • Esperanto: komenci (eo), eki (eo)
  • Estonian: hakkama (et), alustama
  • Faroese: byrja (fo)
  • Finnish: alkaa (fi), aloittaa (fi)
  • French: commencer (fr), démarrer (fr), se mettre (fr)
  • Friulian: començâ
  • Galician: comezar (gl), comenzar (gl), empezar (gl), iniciar (gl)
  • Georgian: დაიწყება (daic̣q̇eba), იწყება (ic̣q̇eba)
  • German: anfangen (de), beginnen (de), starten (de), anheben (de)
  • Gothic: 𐌳𐌿𐌲𐌹𐌽𐌽𐌰𐌽 (duginnan), 𐌳𐌿𐍃𐍄𐍉𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽 (dustōdjan)
  • Greek: αρχίζω (el) (archízo)
    Ancient: ἄρχομαι (árkhomai) (+ genitive)
  • Gujarati: please add this translation if you can
  • Hausa: please add this translation if you can
  • Hebrew: הִתְחִיל (he) (hitkhíl)
  • Hiligaynon: sugod
  • Hindi: शुरू करना (hi) (śurū karnā) (transitive), शुरू होना (śurū honā) (intransitive)
  • Hungarian: kezd (hu), elkezd (hu), megkezd (hu)
  • Icelandic: byrja (is), hefjast
  • Ido: komencar (io)
  • Indonesian: mulai (id)
  • Interlingua: comenciar, iniciar
  • Irish: tosaigh
  • Italian: cominciare (it), iniziare (it)
  • Japanese: 始める (ja) (はじめる, hajimeru) (transitive), 開始する (ja) (かいしする, kaishi suru), 始まる (ja) (はじまる, hajimaru) (intransitive)
  • Kannada: please add this translation if you can
  • Kazakh: бастау (kk) (bastau)
  • Khmer: ចាប់ផ្ដើម (cap phdaəm), ផ្ដើម (km) (phdaəm), ចាប់ (km) (cap)
  • Korean: 시작하다 (ko) (sijakhada), 개시하다 (gaesihada)
  • Kurdish:
    Northern Kurdish: dest pê kirin (ku)
  • Kyrgyz: баштоо (ky) (baştoo)
  • Lao: ເລີ່ມ (lœ̄m), ຕັ້ງຕົ້ນ (tang ton)
  • Latin: incipiō (la), ordior, initiō, committō (la), ineō
  • Latvian: sākt
  • Lithuanian: pradėti (lt)
  • Lushootseed: ʔil
  • Luxembourgish: ufänken
  • Macedonian: започнува impf (započnuva), започне pf (započne), почнува impf (počnuva), почне pf (počne)
  • Malay: mula (ms)
  • Malayalam: തുടങ്ങുക (ml) (tuṭaṅṅuka), ആരംഭിക്കുക (ml) (ārambhikkuka)
  • Maltese: beda
  • Maori: hāpai (a song or chant), hoto, whakataki (a speech), huataki, hīmata, tīmata
  • Mirandese: please add this translation if you can
  • Mongolian:
    Cyrillic: эхлэх (mn) (exlex)
  • Neapolitan: cumenzà
  • Norman: (Guernsey) c’menchier, (Jersey) c’menchi
  • North Frisian:
    Hallig: öönfange
  • Norwegian:
    Bokmål: begynne (no), børje, innlede
    Nynorsk: begynna (nn), byrja (nn), innleia
  • Occitan: començar (oc), entamenar (oc)
  • Ojibwe: maajii-
  • Old English: (please verify) onġinnan, (rare) (please verify) beginnan
  • Old French: comencier
  • Old Saxon: biginnan, andginnan
  • Oriya: please add this translation if you can
  • Oromo: eegaluu, jalqabuu
  • Pashto: شروع کول (ps) (šoro’ kawәl), پيل کول(payl kawәl)
  • Persian: آغاز کردن (fa) (âğâz kardan), شروع کردن (fa) (šoru’ kardan)
  • Polish: zaczynać (pl) impf, zacząć (pl) pf (transitive), zaczynać się (pl) impf, zacząć się (pl) pf (intransitive)
  • Portuguese: começar (pt), iniciar (pt)
  • Punjabi: please add this translation if you can
  • Quechua: qallay, qallariy (qu)
  • Rajasthani: please add this translation if you can
  • Romanian: a începe (ro)
  • Romansch: entschaiver (Rumantsch Grischun), entscheiver (Sursilvan), antschever (Sutsilvan, Surmiran), cumenzar (Rumantsch Grischun), scumanzar (Surmiran), cumanzer (Puter, Vallader), iniziar (Rumantsch Grischun, Sursilvan, Sutsilvan, Vallader), inizier (Surmiran, Puter)
  • Russian: начина́ть (ru) impf (načinátʹ), нача́ть (ru) pf (načátʹ) (transitive), начина́ться (ru) impf (načinátʹsja), нача́ться (ru) pf (načátʹsja) (intransitive)
  • Santali: ᱮᱦᱳᱵ (ehop’)
  • Serbo-Croatian:
    Cyrillic: по̀чињати impf, по̀че̄ти pf
    Roman: pòčinjati (sh) impf, pòčēti (sh) pf
  • Sicilian: accuminzari (scn), cuminzari (scn), accuminciari (scn), cuminciari (scn)
  • Sinhalese: ආරම්භ කරනවා (ārambha karanawā)
  • Slovak: začínať impf, začať pf
  • Slovene: začenjati (sl) impf, začeti (sl) pf
  • Spanish: comenzar (es), iniciar (es), empezar (es), principiar (es)
  • Swahili: kuanza (sw)
  • Swedish: börja (sv), begynna (sv), inleda (sv), påbörja (sv)
  • Tagalog: magumpisa, mag-umpisa, umpisahan, magsimula, simulan
  • Tajik: шуру кардан (šuru kardan), шуруъ кардан (tg) (šuruʾ kardan), оғоз кардан (oġoz kardan)
  • Tamil: please add this translation if you can
  • Tatar: башларга (tt) (başlarga)
  • Telugu: please add this translation if you can
  • Thai: เริ่ม (th) (rə̂əm), เริ่มต้น (th) (rə̂əm-dtôn)
  • Turkish: başlamak (tr)
  • Turkmen: başlamak (tk)
  • Ukrainian: (transitive) почина́ти (uk) impf (počynáty), поча́ти (uk) pf (počáty); (intransitive) почина́тися impf (počynátysja), поча́тися pf (počátysja)
  • Urdu: شُرُوع کَرْنا‎(śurū’ karnā)
  • Uyghur: باشلىماق(bashlimaq)
  • Uzbek: boshlamoq (uz), boshlanmoq (uz)
  • Venetian: scuminsiar, scuminçiar, scomençiar, scomensar, scomençar, scominsiar
  • Vietnamese: bắt đầu (vi)
  • Volapük: beginön, primön (vo)
  • Welsh: dechrau (cy)
  • Yiddish: אָנהייבן(onheybn), באַגינען(baginen) (archaic)

Other forms: began; beginning; begun; begins

To begin is to start. When it begins to snow, every flake looks pretty, drifting gently down from the dark sky.

When you begin something, you go ahead with its first part or stage — you can begin the day with a good attitude, or begin a very long book over and over again, always falling asleep before you get to chapter two. You also might begin a journey by lacing up your hiking boots. Things also begin when they have a specific element as a first part, as when a word begins with the letter T.

Definitions of begin

  1. verb

    set in motion, cause to start

    begin a new chapter in your life”

    synonyms:

    commence, lead off, start

    see moresee less

    Antonyms:

    end, terminate

    bring to an end or halt

    types:

    show 7 types…
    hide 7 types…
    jump-start, jumpstart

    start or re-start vigorously

    recommence

    cause to start anew

    inaugurate, introduce, usher in

    be a precursor of

    set off

    set in motion or cause to begin

    commence, embark on, start, start up

    get off the ground

    inaugurate, kick off

    commence officially

    open

    begin or set in action, of meetings, speeches, recitals, etc.

  2. verb

    be the first item or point, constitute the beginning or start, come first in a series

    “The number `one’
    begins the sequence”

    “The convocation ceremony officially
    begins the semester”

    Synonyms:

    start

    have a beginning characterized in some specified way

  3. verb

    take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

    “We
    began working at dawn”

    “The first tourists
    began to arrive in Cambodia”

    “He
    began early in the day”

    synonyms:

    commence, get, get down, set about, set out, start, start out

    see moresee less

    Antonyms:

    end, terminate

    bring to an end or halt

    types:

    show 13 types…
    hide 13 types…
    recommence

    begin again

    strike out

    set out on a course of action

    fall

    begin vigorously

    jump off

    set off quickly, usually with success

    get to

    arrive at the point of

    auspicate

    commence in a manner calculated to bring good luck

    attack

    set to work upon; turn one’s energies vigorously to a task

    break in

    start in a certain activity, enterprise, or role

    launch, plunge

    begin with vigor

    come on

    occur or become available

    embark, enter

    set out on (an enterprise or subject of study)

    bestir oneself, get cracking, get going, get moving, get rolling, get started, get weaving

    start to be active

    take up

    pursue or resume

  4. verb

    have a beginning characterized in some specified way

    “My property
    begins with the three maple trees”

    “Her day
    begins with a workout”

    “The semester
    begins with a convocation ceremony”

    synonyms:

    start

    start

    begin an event that is implied and limited by the nature or inherent function of the direct object

    start

    have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative sense

    see moresee less

    type of:

    be

    have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)

  5. verb

    have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative sense

    “The DMZ
    begins right over the hill”

    “The second movement
    begins after the Allegro”

    synonyms:

    start

    start

    have a beginning characterized in some specified way

    see moresee less

    Antonyms:

    cease, end, finish, stop, terminate

    have an end, in a temporal, spatial, or quantitative sense; either spatial or metaphorical

    types:

    show 6 types…
    hide 6 types…
    break out, erupt

    start abruptly

    bud

    start to grow or develop

    break out

    begin suddenly and sometimes violently

    kick in, set in

    enter a particular state

    dawn

    appear or develop

    originate

    begin a trip at a certain point, as of a plane, train, bus, etc.

  6. verb

    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”

    Synonyms:

    commence, lead off, start

    set in motion, cause to start

    start

    have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative sense

    see moresee less

    type of:

    be

    have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)

  7. verb

    begin an event that is implied and limited by the nature or inherent function of the direct object

    synonyms:

    start

    start

    have a beginning characterized in some specified way

  8. verb

    begin to speak, understand, read, and write a language

    “She
    began Russian at an early age”

    Synonyms:

    commence, get, get down, set about, set out, start, start out

    take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

  9. verb

    begin to speak or say

    “»Now listen, friends,» he
    began

  10. verb

    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”

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘begin’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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verb (used without object), be·gan [bih-gan], /bɪˈgæn/, be·gun [bih-guhn], /bɪˈgʌn/, be·gin·ning [bih-gin-ing]. /bɪˈgɪn ɪŋ/.

to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of some action; commence; start: The story begins with their marriage.

to come into existence; arise; originate: The custom began during the Civil War.

verb (used with object), be·gan, be·gun, be·gin·ning.

to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of (some action): Begin the job tomorrow.

to originate; be the originator of: civic leaders who began the reform movement.

to succeed to the slightest extent in (followed by an infinitive): The money won’t even begin to cover expenses.

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Origin of begin

First recorded before 1000; Middle English beginnen, Old English beginnan, equivalent to be- be- + -ginnan “to begin,” perhaps originally “to open,” akin to yawn

synonym study for begin

3. 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.

Words nearby begin

beggary, beggar-your-neighbor, begging bowl, begging letter, Beghard, begin, beginner, beginner’s luck, beginning, beginning, In the, beginning rhyme

Other definitions for begin (2 of 2)


noun

Me·na·chem [muhnahkhuhm], /məˈnɑ xəm/, 1913–92, Israeli political leader, born in Poland: prime minister 1977–83; Nobel Peace Prize 1978.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to begin

commence, create, do, establish, found, go ahead, go into, inaugurate, initiate, introduce, launch, lead, make, open, prepare, produce, set up, undertake, appear, come out

How to use begin in a sentence

  • That began to change in 1997, when the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations recognized the American Mountain Guides Association’s accreditation.

  • Then she and a small team wheel it out to their spot in the parking lot, and a long line of cars begins to wind its way toward her — their occupants’ windows rolled down and sleeves rolled up.

  • While still a teenager, he began running a regular dice game on the sidewalk at West Roosevelt Road and South Kedzie Avenue, in the heart of Lawndale.

  • Reporting for the series on the coronavirus and racial disparities began early in the pandemic.

  • The bear, now less than 100 feet away, glanced over at us and began to saunter left, his cadence nauseatingly cool.

  • Christie has problems, and they begin with the fact that photos and videos and memes can haunt us.

  • He could order the Justice Department to begin the necessary regulatory work.

  • That kind of compassion might go a long way toward helping us begin to respond to a hurting world.

  • My trip takes the reverse path, and I begin by assessing the depth of my Shakespeare knowledge in his birthplace.

  • We can also begin to plan our wardrobes to match our new and improved selves.

  • They are very urgent questions; our sons and daughters will have to begin to deal with them from the moment they leave college.

  • If we are to have a real education along lines of expression we must begin with the «content,» or cause, of expression.

  • Men cannot see the world clearly and they cannot, therefore, begin to think about it rightly.

  • Much later, in the case of all but gifted children, do the mysteries of harmony begin to take on definite form and meaning.

  • «But it was n’t a lie,» Punch would begin, charging into a laboured explanation that landed him more hopelessly in the mire.

British Dictionary definitions for begin (1 of 2)


verb -gins, -ginning, -gan or -gun

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

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

to start to say or speak

(used with a negative) to have the least capacity (to do something)he couldn’t begin to compete with her

to begin with in the first place

Word Origin for begin

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

British Dictionary definitions for begin (2 of 2)


noun

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 & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with begin


In addition to the idioms beginning with begin

  • beginning of the end, the
  • begin to see daylight
  • begin to see the light
  • begin with

also see:

  • charity begins at home
  • (begin to) see the light
  • to start (begin) with

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

начинать, начинаться, завязать, наставать

глагол

- начинать; приступать (к чему л.)

- начинаться

to begin with — а) во-первых, прежде всего; начать с того, что …; to begin with, I did not see him
the word begins with a capital letter — слово начинается с заглавной буквы
the play begins with a prologue — пьеса начинается с пролога /открывается прологом/
the performance begins at seven — представление начинается в 7 часов
it is beginning to rain — начинается дождь
when did life begin on Earth? — когда возникла жизнь на Земле?

- основывать, создавать

they began the club a year ago — клуб открыли год назад

- (обыкн. с отрицанием) амер. эмоц.-усил. быть далёким от, даже не приближаться к

Мои примеры

Словосочетания

begin a new chapter in your life — начать новую главу в своей жизни  
the age at which children begin to acquire linguistic skills — возраст, в котором дети начинают овладевать языковыми навыками  
to begin / enter a phase — вступить в фазу  
to begin work — начать работу, приступить к работе  
begin to blow — задувать; повеять  
begin to boil — закипеть; закипать  
begin a fresh chapter — начать новую главу  
thirst to begin the combat — жаждать битвы  
begin to cough — закашлять  
begin to cry — заплакать; закричать; запищать  
begin cruise conditions — начальные условия крейсерского полёта  
begin cruise point — начальный крейсерский режим  

Примеры с переводом

We are ready to begin.

Мы готовы начать.

If everyone is ready, I’ll begin.

Если все готовы, я начну.

I began teaching in 1984.

Я начал преподавать в 1984 году.

He was keen to begin classes.

Ему не терпелось начать занятия.

To begin with, I did not see him.

Во-первых, я его не видел.

She began to feel a sense of panic.

Она начала испытывать чувство паники.

We begin on October 6th.

Мы начинаем шестого октября.

ещё 23 примера свернуть

Примеры, ожидающие перевода

…will begin his presentation with a recapitulation of the research done on the disease up to this point…

Для того чтобы добавить вариант перевода, кликните по иконке , напротив примера.

Возможные однокоренные слова

beginner  — начинающий, новичок, тот, кто начинает
beginning  — начало, возникновение, истоки, начинающий

Формы слова

verb
I/you/we/they: begin
he/she/it: begins
ing ф. (present participle): beginning
2-я ф. (past tense): began
3-я ф. (past participle): begun

begin begin bɪˈɡɪn – began – begun

  1. начинать, приступать (к чему-л.)

    to begin at the beginning ― начинать с самого начала

    to begin again ― начать снова (сначала)

    that’s wrong, let’s begin again ― это неправильно, давайте
    начнем сначала (повторим)

    to begin on ― браться за (что-л.); брать начало (от чего-л.)

    to begin over ― начинать сызнова

    to begin upon ― браться за (что-л.); брать начало (от чего-л.)

    to begin with ― начать (с чего-л.)

    to begin the score ― спорт. открывать счет

    he began studying (to study) English ― он начал изучать
    английский язык

    he began his breakfast ― он принялся за завтрак

    we begin at page three ― начнем с третьей страницы

    where to begin? ― с чего начать?

    where do we begin? ― с чего мы начнем?

    I do not know how to begin ― не знаю, с чего начать; не знаю,
    за что взяться; работы по горло

  2. начинаться

    to begin with ― начинаться с (чего-л.)

    the word begins with a capital letter ― слово начинается с
    заглавной буквы

    the play begins with a prologue ― пьеса начинается с пролога
    (открывается прологом)

    the performance begins at seven ― представление начинается в
    7 часов

    it is beginning to rain ― начинается дождь

    when did life begin on Earth? ― когда возникла жизнь на Земле?

  3. основывать, создавать

    they began the club a year ago ― клуб открыли год назад

  4. (обыкн. с отрицанием) ам. эмоц-усил. быть далеким от,
    даже не приближаться к

    the machine does not begin to meet the specifications ― машина
    ни в коей мере не отвечает техническим условиям

    I do not begin to understand you ― отказываюсь вас понимать;
    я совершенно вас не понимаю

    they do not begin to compare ― их совершенно нельзя сравнивать;
    одному далеко до другого

    the statement does not begin to be comprehensible enough
    ― заявление крайне невразумительно

    to begin with ― во-первых, прежде всего; начать с того, что…;
    сначала, на первых порах

    to begin with, I did not see him ― во-первых, я его не видел

    to begin at the wrong end ― начать не с того конца, неудачно
    взяться за дело

    to begin the world ― начинать самостоятельную жизнь

    well begun is half done ― посл. хорошее начало полдела откачало

beginner beginner bɪˈɡɪnə

    новичок; начинающий

    not bad for a beginner ― для новичка неплохо

    English for beginners ― курс английского языка для начинающих

    beginner’s luck ― новичкам везет

beginning beginning bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ

  1. начало

    beginning of the press ― спорт. начало жима

    beginning of a stroke ― спорт. занос, начало гребка

    to read a book from beginning to end ― прочитать книгу от
    начала до конца

    it is important to make a good beginning ― важно хорошо начать

  2. исходная точка; источник, происхождение
  3. pl. истоки; начальная стадия

    the beginnings of scientific agriculture ― первые шаги
    сельскохозяйственной науки

    the beginnings of English poetry ― истоки английской поэзии

  4. (the beginning) рел. первопричина; начало всех начал

    a good beginning is half the battle ― посл. хорошее начало
    полдела откачало

    a bad beginning makes a bad ending ― посл. плохое начало —
    плохой и конец

  5. начальный, вводный

begin: translation

verb

ADVERB

again, all over again, anew (esp. AmE)

Once it has finished, the DVD automatically begins again.

We had to begin all over again.

immediately, quickly, suddenly

Research into the problem began immediately.

gradually, slowly

He took a deep breath and slowly began.

shortly, soon

The concert will begin shortly.

finally

Work on the building finally began in the summer.

VERB + BEGIN

be due to, be expected to, be scheduled to

The entertainment was due to begin at 8.30.

be ready to

be about to, be going to

A new life was about to begin for him.

PREPOSITION

by

Let’s begin by writing down a few ideas.

with

We will begin with a brief discussion of the problems.

Can you think of a word beginning with V?

PHRASES

begin at the beginning

OK, let’s just begin at the beginning.

be just beginning, be only beginning

Their troubles are only beginning.

Begin is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑battle, ↑bombardment, ↑campaign, ↑career, ↑century, ↑conference, ↑conflict, ↑decade, ↑decline, ↑dispute, ↑dynasty, ↑enquiry, ↑era, ↑exam, ↑festival, ↑fighting, ↑friendship, ↑hearing, ↑hostility, ↑hunt, ↑journey, ↑letter, ↑meeting, ↑migration, ↑movement, ↑negotiation, ↑occupation, ↑pain, ↑period, ↑practice, ↑preparation, ↑problem, ↑proceedings, ↑process, ↑procession, ↑rebellion, ↑recession, ↑recovery, ↑riot, ↑romance, ↑run, ↑sale, ↑scene, ↑season, ↑semester, ↑session, ↑shift, ↑siege, ↑story, ↑tale, ↑talk, ↑thaw, ↑trading, ↑trail, ↑transformation, ↑trial, ↑trouble, ↑war, ↑work, ↑year

Begin is used with these nouns as the object: ↑ascent, ↑assault, ↑campaign, ↑career, ↑century, ↑construction, ↑conversation, ↑deliberation, ↑descent, ↑dialogue, ↑discussion, ↑enquiry, ↑evening, ↑exploration, ↑hunt, ↑journey, ↑lesson, ↑march, ↑meeting, ↑ministry, ↑occupation, ↑operation, ↑paragraph, ↑passage, ↑period, ↑phase, ↑practice, ↑preparation, ↑proceedings, ↑process, ↑production, ↑programme, ↑publication, ↑quest, ↑regimen, ↑relationship, ↑remark, ↑restoration, ↑revolution, ↑ritual, ↑romance, ↑round, ↑routine, ↑run, ↑schooling, ↑search, ↑season, ↑semester, ↑sentence, ↑service, ↑session, ↑shipment, ↑slide, ↑strike, ↑struggle, ↑study, ↑tale, ↑talk, ↑task, ↑tenure, ↑term, ↑treatment, ↑trek, ↑trend, ↑work

  • Defenition of the word begin

    • To begin an activity.
    • To take the first step or steps in carrying out an action.
    • To have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative sense.
    • To set in motion, cause to start.
    • To start to speak or say.
    • begin to speak or say; «Now listen, friends,» he began
    • 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»
    • come first in a series; «The number «one» begins the sequence»
    • 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!»
    • set in motion, cause to start; «The U.S. started a war in the Middle East»; «The Iraquis began hostilities»; «begin a new chapter in your life»
    • 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»
    • get off the ground; «Who started this company?» «We embarked on an exciting enterprise»
    • 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)
    • 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»
    • 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»
    • begin to speak, understand, read, and write a language; «She began Russian at an early age»; «We started French in fourth grade»
    • 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»
    • 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»
    • 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»
    • 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 work-out»; «The semester begins with a convocation ceremony»
    • have a beginning, of a temporal event; «WWII began in 1939 when Hitler marched into Poland»; «The company»s Asia tour begins next month»
    • 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 ceremoney officially begins the semester»
    • take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
    • set in motion, cause to start
    • begin to speak or say
    • begin to speak, understand, read, and write a language
    • achieve or accomplish in the least degree, usually used in the negative
    • begin an event that is implied and limited by the nature or inherent function of the direct object
    • have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative sense
    • have a beginning characterized in some specified way
    • have a beginning, of a temporal event
    • be the first item or point, constitute the beginning or start, come first in a series

Synonyms for the word begin

    • activate
    • arise
    • come into being
    • commence
    • create
    • embark on
    • get
    • get down
    • get down to it
    • get to it
    • get underway
    • inaugurate
    • initiate
    • instigate
    • kick off
    • launch
    • lead off
    • make a start
    • menachem begin
    • open
    • originate
    • set about
    • set in motion
    • set off
    • set out
    • start
    • start in on
    • start on
    • start out
    • start the ball rolling
    • start up

Similar words in the begin

    • begin
    • begin’s
    • beginning
    • beginning’s
    • beginnings
    • begins

Hyponyms for the word begin

    • attack
    • auspicate
    • bestir oneself
    • break in
    • break out
    • bud
    • come on
    • commence
    • dawn
    • embark
    • embark on
    • enter
    • erupt
    • fall
    • get cracking
    • get going
    • get moving
    • get rolling
    • get started
    • get to
    • get weaving
    • inaugurate
    • introduce
    • jump off
    • jump-start
    • jumpstart
    • kick in
    • launch
    • originate
    • plunge
    • recommence
    • set in
    • set off
    • start
    • start up
    • strike out
    • usher in

Hypernyms for the word begin

    • accomplish
    • achieve
    • act
    • attain
    • be
    • initiate
    • mouth
    • move
    • national leader
    • pioneer
    • reach
    • solon
    • speak
    • statesman
    • surname
    • talk
    • utter
    • verbalise
    • verbalize

Antonyms for the word begin

    • cease
    • end
    • finish
    • stop
    • terminate

See other words

    • What is calzada
    • The definition of carlsen
    • The interpretation of the word caulfield
    • What is meant by claiborne
    • The lexical meaning cloyd
    • The dictionary meaning of the word colangelo
    • The grammatical meaning of the word collinsworth
    • Meaning of the word copenhaver
    • Literal and figurative meaning of the word deel
    • The origin of the word barahona
    • Synonym for the word yockey
    • Antonyms for the word winkle
    • Homonyms for the word windom
    • Hyponyms for the word wimer
    • Holonyms for the word wilford
    • Hypernyms for the word wash
    • Proverbs and sayings for the word villatoro
    • Translation of the word in other languages trexler

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