Is the word begin past tense

Английский глагол begin [bɪˈgɪn], переводится как: начинать(ся).
Входит в группы:
неправильные глаголы,
глаголы 4-й класс,
глаголы 5-й класс.

3 формы глагола begin: Infinitive (begin), Past Simple — (began), Past Participle — (begun).

📚 Глагол begin имеет значения: начинать, приступать, создавать, основывать.

👉 Формы глагола begin в настоящем и прошедшем времени 2-я и 3-я форма.
❓ Как будет begin в прошедшем времени past simple.

Три формы глагола begin

Base Form	Past Simple	Past Participle	Перевод
begin [bɪˈgɪn]	began [bɪˈgæn]	begun [bɪˈgʌn]	начинать(ся)

Как поставить begin во 2-ю и 3-ю форму?

🎓 Как поставить глагол begin в Past Simple, Future Simple, Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future Perfect?

👉 Всё очень просто, в этих временах прошедшего, будущего и совершённого времени, в английском используются 2я и 3я форма глагола:

• First form (V1) — begin. (Present simple, Future Simple)
• Second form (V2) —
  began.

  (Past simple)

• Third form (V3) —
  begun.

  (Present perfect, Past perfect)

Как поставить begin в past simple?

Если вы не совсем поняли какую форму для begin нужно использовать в прошедшем времени, будет:
begin в past simple — began.

What is the past tense of begin?

The past tense of begin is began.

The past participle of begin is begun.

Временные формы глагола — Verb Tenses

Past simple — begin в past simple, будет began.
(V2)

Future simple — begin в future simple будет begin. (will + V1)

Present Perfect — begin в present perfect будет
begun.
(havehas + V3)

Past Perfect — begin в past perfect будет
begun.

(had + V3)

Правильный или неправильный глагол begin?

👉 Правильный это глагол ли нет? Глагол begin это неправильный глагол.

Примеры применения глагола begin

•  
  She began the quilt last week — Она начала шить стеганое одеяло на прошлой неделе.
  (Past Simple)

•  
  The virus can begin to replicate — Вирус может начать репликацию.
  (Present Simple)

•  
  He interrupted as soon as they began to vote — Он замолчал, как только они начали голосовать.
  (Past Simple)

•  
  We can begin tomorrow — Можно начать завтра.
  (Present Simple)

•  
  The English lesson has already begun — Урок английского уже начался.
  (Present Perfect)

•  
  The program will begin in 5 minutes — Программа начнет работу через 5 минут.
  (Future Simple)
•  
  Some countries have begun to tackle the issue — Некоторые страны приступили к решению этой проблемы.
  (Present Perfect)

•  
  You can please wait here, the experiment will begin shortly — Можете подождать здесь, эксперимент скоро начнется.
  (Present Simple)

•  
  Put your money on the table and we will begin — Положите деньги на стол и мы начнём.
  (Present Simple)

•  
  In truth, your journey has already begun — По сути, твоё путешествие уже началось.
  (Present Perfect)

Вместе с begin, часто смотрят глаголы

spread

and cry.

The English verb ‘begin’ is pronounced as [bɪˈgɪn].
Related to:
irregular verbs.

3 forms of verb begin: Infinitive (begin), Past Simple — (began), Past Participle — (begun).

Here are the past tense forms of the verb begin

👉 Forms of verb begin in future and past simple and past participle.
❓ What is the past tense of begin.

Base Form	Past Simple	Past Participle
begin [bɪˈgɪn]	began [bɪˈgæn]	begun [bɪˈgʌn]

What are the 2nd and 3rd forms of the verb begin?

🎓 What are the past simple, future simple, present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect forms of the base form (infinitive) ‘begin‘?

Learn the three forms of the English verb ‘begin’

• the first form (V1) is ‘begin’ used in present simple and future simple tenses.
• the second form (V2) is ‘began’

  used in past simple tense.

• the third form (V3) is
  ‘begun’

  used in present perfect and past perfect tenses.

What are the past tense and past participle of begin?

The past tense and past participle of begin are:
begin in past simple is

began,

and past participle is

begun.

What is the past tense of begin?

The past tense of the verb «begin» is «began»,

and the past participle is
«begun».

Verb Tenses

Past simple — begin in past simple began
(V2).

Future simple — begin in future simple is begin (will + V1).

Present Perfect — begin in present perfect tense is
begun
(have/has + V3).

Past Perfect — begin in past perfect tense is
begun

(had + V3).

begin regular or irregular verb?

👉 Is ‘begin’ a regular or irregular verb? The verb ‘begin’ is irregular verb.

Examples of Verb begin in Sentences

•  
  She began the quilt last week

  (Past Simple)

•  
  The virus can begin to replicate

  (Present Simple)

•  
  He interrupted as soon as they began to vote

  (Past Simple)

•  
  We can begin tomorrow

  (Present Simple)

•  
  The English lesson has already begun

  (Present Perfect)

•  
  The program will begin in 5 minutes

  (Future Simple)

•  
  Some countries have begun to tackle the issue

  (Present Perfect)

•  
  You can please wait here, the experiment will begin shortly

  (Present Simple)

•  
  Put your money on the table and we will begin

  (Present Simple)

•  
  In truth, your journey has already begun

  (Present Perfect)

Along with begin, words are popular

sink

and rain.

See more at: Verbs

Begin of Definition and Meaning

Begin is a verb that means “to start something or to do the first part of something.”

Begin can be a noun or a verb

Noun: The beginning of our story was simple.

Verb: They begin to move the cat from his home.

Base Form (V1)	begin
Past Form (V2)	began
Past Participle Form (V3)	begun
s / es/ ies (V4)	begins
‘ing’ form (V5)	beginning

Begin of Past Simple V2

The verb begin is also employed in its V2 form as “began”’. It is used to indicate the past tense in sentences.

Begin of Past Participle V3

This verb’s V3 form is ‘begun‘. In the case of past perfect tense or present perfect tense, the word ‘begun‘ is used.

+ In the present perfect tense, the word begin is used ‘have + begun’ or ‘has + begun.’ 

• I, you, and we are used as ‘have + begun‘ subjects. 
• He, she, and it are used as ‘has + begun‘ subjects. 

+ If you need to use the past perfect tense, use ‘had + begun‘ regardless of the subject.

You might also like: ALL the English Grammar Basics You Need

Conjugation of Begin V1 V2 V3 V4 V5

Conjugation table: Begin
Number	Singular
Present Simple of begin	I	You	She/He/It
begin	begin	begins
Plural
We	You	They
begin	begin	begin
Present Continuous of begin	I	You	She/He/It
am beginning	are beginning	is beginning
Plural
We	You	They
are beginning	are beginning	are beginning
Present Perfect of begin	I	You	She/He/It
have begun	have begun	has begun
Plural
We	You	They
have begun	have begun	have begun
Present Perfect Continuous of begin	I	You	She/He/It
have been beginning	have been beginning	has been beginning
Plural
We	You	They
have been beginning	have been beginning	have been beginning
Past Simple of begin	I	You	She/He/It
began	began	began
Plural
We	You	They
began	began	began
Past Continuous of begin	I	You	She/He/It
was beginning	were beginning	was beginning
Plural
We	You	They
were beginning	were beginning	were beginning
Past Perfect of begin	I	You	She/He/It
had begun	had begun	had begun
Plural
We	You	They
had begun	had begun	had begun
Past Perfect Continuous of begin	I	You	She/He/It
had been beginning	had been beginning	had been beginning
Plural
We	You	They
had been beginning	had been beginning	had been beginning
Future Simple of begin	I	You	She/He/It
will/shall begin	will/shall begin	will/shall begin
Plural
We	You	They
will/shall begin	will/shall begin	will/shall begin
Future Continuous of begin	I	You	She/He/It
will/shall be beginning	will/shall be beginning	will/shall be beginning
Plural
We	You	They
will/shall be beginning	will/shall be beginning	will/shall be beginning
Future Perfect of begin	I	You	She/He/It
will/shall have begun	will/shall have begun	will/shall have begun
Plural
We	You	They
will/shall have begun	will/shall have begun	will/shall have begun
Future Perfect Continuous of begin	I	You	She/He/It
will/shall have been beginning	will/shall have been beginning	will/shall have been beginning
Plural
We	You	They
will/shall have been beginning	will/shall have been beginning	will/shall have been beginning
Conditional Present of begin	I	You	She/He/It
would begin	would begin	would begin
Plural
We	You	They
would begin	would begin	would begin
Conditional Perfect of begin	I	You	She/He/It
would have begun	would have begun	would have begun
Plural
We	You	They
would have begun	would have begun	would have begun
Conditional Present Continuous of begin	I	You	She/He/It
would be beginning	would be beginning	would be beginning
Plural
We	You	They
would be beginning	would be beginning	would be beginning
Conditional Perfect Continuous of begin	I	You	She/He/It
would have been beginning	would have been beginning	would have been beginning
Plural
We	You	They
would have been beginning	would have been beginning	would have been beginning
Present Subjunctive of begin	I	You	She/He/It
begin	begin	begin
Plural
We	You	They
begin	begin	begin
Past Subjunctive of begin	I	You	She/He/It
began	began	began
Plural
We	You	They
began	began	began
Past Perfect Subjunctive of begin	I	You	She/He/It
had begun	had begun	had begun
Plural
We	You	They
had begun	had begun	had begun
Imperative of begin	I	You	She/He/It
	begin
Plural
We	You	They
Let’s begin	begin

See more at: Vocabulary

Example Sentences with Begin V1 V2 V3 V4 V5

In this section, we will learn about begin sentence examples:

+ After we build our tents, they will begin to create a campfire.

+ The baby begins to cry again.

+ I’m going to begin the operation now.

+ Her father stopped when he saw her begin to shudder.

+ If Mike can create a few more events, his novel should begin to fall into place.

Synonym Words For Begin

Synonym of the begin word list. Here are a variety of words whose meaning is nearly the synonym of begin:

• start
• commence
• undertake
• initiate
• tackle
• instigate
• effectuate
• trigger
• prompt
• create
• elicit
• induce
• precipitate
• kick off
• kick-start
• produce
• start up
• start off
• embark on
• start on
• start to
• take up
• jump into
• launch into
• proceed with
• make a start on
• get down to
• get going with
• get on with

Opposite Words For Begin

The antonym of the begin word list. Here are some words that have nearly the opposite meaning as begin:

• finish
• complete
• conclude
• close
• end
• finalise
• accomplish
• consummate
• achieve
• fulfill
• culminate
• settle
• cease
• stop
• abort
• end
• terminate
• abolish
• cancel
• desist
• discontinue
• complete
• finish
• annul
• break
• close
• halt
• quit

You might also like: Best List of Irregular Verbs in English

Some Frequently Asked Questions About Begin (Verb)

What is the V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 of begin?

The past tense of begin is began. The third-person singular simple present indicative form of begin is begins. The present participle of begin is beginning. The past participle of begin is begun.

Base Form (V1)	begin
Past Form (V2)	began
Past Participle Form (V3)	begun
s / es/ ies (V4)	begins
‘ing’ form (V5)	beginning

What is the V2 and V3 form of begin?

+ The V2  form of begin is “began” and the V3 form of begin is “begun”

What is the sentence of begin?

What is the past tense V2 of begin?

+ The past tense of begin is “began“.

What is the past participle V3 of begin?

+ The past participle of begin is “begun“.

What is the present participle V5 of begin?

+ The present participle of begin is “beginning“.

Conclusion

The Base Form, the Past Simple Form, and the Past Participle Form are all explained in the text above for Begin V1 V2 V3 V4 V5. We believe we have made learning English more approachable and enjoyable.

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Here are other verbs V1 V2 V3 List

Base Form V1	Past Form V2	Past Participle Form V3
abide	abode/abided	abode/abided
arise	arose	arisen
awake	awoke	awoken
backslide	backslid	backslidden/backslid
be	was/were	been
bear	bore	borne
beat	beat	beaten/beat
become	became	become
befall	befell	befallen
begin	began	begun
behold	beheld	beheld
bend	bent	bent
beset	beset	beset
bespeak	bespoke	bespoken
bet	bet/betted	bet/betted
bid	bid	bid
bind	bound	bound
bite	bit	bitten
bleed	bled	bled
blow	blew	blown
break	broke	broken
breed	bred	bred
bring	brought	brought
broadcast	broadcast	broadcast
browbeat	browbeat	browbeaten/browbeat
build	built	built
burn	burnt/burned	burnt/burned
burst	burst	burst
bust	busted/bust	busted/bust
buy	bought	bought
cast	cast	cast
catch	caught	caught
chide	chid/chided	chid/chidden/chided
choose	chose	chosen
cleave	clove/cleft/cleaved	cloven/cleft/cleaved
cleave	clave	cleaved
cling	clung	clung
clothe	clothed/clad	clothed/clad
come	came	come
cost	cost	cost
creep	crept	crept
crossbreed	crossbred	crossbred
crow	crew/crewed	crowed
cut	cut	cut
daydream	daydreamed daydreamt	daydreamed daydreamt
deal	dealt	dealt
dig	dug	dug
disprove	disproved	disproved/disproven
dive	dove/dived	dived
do	did	done
draw	drew	drawn
dream	dreamt/dreamed	dreamt/dreamed
drink	drank	drunk
drive	drove	driven
dwell	dwelt	dwelt
eat	ate	eaten
fall	fell	fallen
feed	fed	fed
feel	felt	felt
fight	fought	fought
find	found	found
fit	fitted/fit	fitted/fit
flee	fled	fled
fling	flung	flung
fly	flew	flown
forbear	forbore	forborne
forbid	forbade/forbad	forbidden
forecast	forecast/forecasted	forecast/forecasted
forego (also forgo)	forewent	foregone
foresee	foresaw	foreseen
foretell	foretold	foretold
forget	forgot	forgotten
forgive	forgave	forgiven
forsake	forsook	forsaken
freeze	froze	frozen
frostbite	frostbit	frostbitten
get	got	got/gotten
gild	gilt/gilded	gilt/gilded
gird	girt/girded	girt/girded
give	gave	given
go	went	gone
grind	ground	ground
grow	grew	grown
hand-feed	hand-fed	hand-fed
handwrite	handwrote	handwritten
hang	hung	hung
have	had	had
hear	heard	heard
heave	hove/heaved	hove/heaved
hew	hewed	hewn/hewed
hide	hid	hidden
hit	hit	hit
hurt	hurt	hurt
inbreed	inbred	inbred
inlay	inlaid	inlaid
input	input	input
inset	inset	inset
interbreed	interbred	interbred
interweave	interwove interweaved	interwoven interweaved
interwind	interwound	interwound
jerry-build	jerry-built	jerry-built
keep	kept	kept
kneel	knelt/kneeled	knelt/kneeled
knit	knit/knitted	knit/knitted
know	knew	known
lay	laid	laid
lead	led	led
lean	leaned/leant	leaned/leant
leap	leapt /leaped	leapt /leaped
learn	learnt/learned	learnt/learned
leave	left	left
lend	lent	lent
let	let	let
lie	lay	lain
light	lit/lighted	lit/lighted
lip-read	lip-read	lip-read
lose	lost	lost
make	made	made
mean	meant	meant
meet	met	met
miscast	miscast	miscast
misdeal	misdealt	misdealt
misdo	misdid	misdone
mishear	misheard	misheard
mislay	mislaid	mislaid
mislead	misled	misled
mislearn	mislearned mislearnt	mislearned mislearnt
misread	misread	misread
misset	misset	misset
misspeak	misspoke	misspoken
misspell	misspelt	misspelt
misspend	misspent	misspent
mistake	mistook	mistaken
misteach	mistaught	mistaught
misunderstand	misunderstood	misunderstood
miswrite	miswrote	miswritten
mow	mowed	mown/mowed
offset	offset	offset
outbid	outbid	outbid
outbreed	outbred	outbred
outdo	outdid	outdone
outdraw	outdrew	outdrawn
outdrink	outdrank	outdrunk
outdrive	outdrove	outdriven
outfight	outfought	outfought
outfly	outflew	outflown
outgrow	outgrew	outgrown
outleap	outleaped/outleapt	outleaped/outleapt
outlie	outlied	outlied
output	output	output
outride	outrode	outridden
outrun	outran	outrun
outsell	outsold	outsold
outshine	outshined/outshone	outshined/outshone
outshoot	outshot	outshot
outsing	outsang	outsung
outsit	outsat	outsat
outsleep	outslept	outslept
outsmell	outsmelled/outsmelt	outsmelled/outsmelt
outspeak	outspoke	outspoken
outspeed	outsped	outsped
outspend	outspent	outspent
outswear	outswore	outsworn
outswim	outswam	outswum
outthink	outthought	outthought
outthrow	outthrew	outthrown
outwrite	outwrote	outwritten
overbid	overbid	overbid
overbreed	overbred	overbred
overbuild	overbuilt	overbuilt
overbuy	overbought	overbought
overcome	overcame	overcome
overdo	overdid	overdone
overdraw	overdrew	overdrawn
overdrink	overdrank	overdrunk
overeat	overate	overeaten
overfeed	overfed	overfed
overfly	overflew	overflown
overhang	overhung	overhung
overhear	overheard	overheard
overlay	overlaid	overlaid
overpay	overpaid	overpaid
override	overrode	overridden
overrun	overran	overrun
oversee	oversaw	overseen
oversell	oversold	oversold
oversew	oversewed	oversewn/oversewed
overshoot	overshot	overshot
oversleep	overslept	overslept
overspeak	overspoke	overspoken
overspend	overspent	overspent
overspill	overspilled/overspilt	overspilled/overspilt
overtake	overtook	overtaken
overthink	overthought	overthought
overthrow	overthrew	overthrown
overwind	overwound	overwound
overwrite	overwrote	overwritten
partake	partook	partaken
pay	paid	paid
plead	pleaded/pled	pleaded/pled
prebuild	prebuilt	prebuilt
premake	premade	premade
prepay	prepaid	prepaid
presell	presold	presold
preset	preset	preset
preshrink	preshrank	preshrunk
proofread	proofread	proofread
prove	proved	proven/proved
put	put	put
quick-freeze	quick-froze	quick-frozen
quit	quit/quitted	quit/quitted
read	read	read
reawake	reawoke	reawaken
rebid	rebid	rebid
rebind	rebound	rebound
rebroadcast	rebroadcast rebroadcasted	rebroadcast rebroadcasted
rebuild	rebuilt	rebuilt
recast	recast	recast
recut	recut	recut
redeal	redealt	redealt
redo	redid	redone
redraw	redrew	redrawn
refit	refitted/refit	refitted/refit
regrind	reground	reground
regrow	regrew	regrown
rehang	rehung	rehung
rehear	reheard	reheard
reknit	reknitted/reknit	reknitted/reknit
relay	relaid	relaid
relearn	relearned/relearnt	relearned/relearnt
relight	relit/relighted	relit/relighted
remake	remade	remade
rend	rent	rent
repay	repaid	repaid
reread	reread	reread
rerun	reran	rerun
resell	resold	resold
resend	resent	resent
reset	reset	reset
resew	resewed	resewn/resewed
retake	retook	retaken
reteach	retaught	retaught
retear	retore	retorn
retell	retold	retold
rethink	rethought	rethought
retread	retread	retread
retrofit	retrofitted/retrofit	retrofitted/retrofit
rewake	rewoke/rewaked	rewaken/rewaked
rewear	rewore	reworn
reweave	rewove/reweaved	rewoven/reweaved
rewed	rewed/rewedded	rewed/rewedded
rewet	rewet/rewetted	rewet/rewetted
rewin	rewon	rewon
rewind	rewound	rewound
rewrite	rewrote	rewritten
rid	rid	rid
ride	rode	ridden
ring	rang	rung
rise	rose	risen
roughcast	roughcast	roughcast
run	ran	run
sand-cast	sand-cast	sand-cast
saw	sawed	sawn
say	said	said
see	saw	seen
seek	sought	sought
sell	sold	sold
send	sent	sent
set	set	set
sew	sewed	sewn/sewed
shake	shook	shaken
shave	shaved	shaved/shaven
shear	sheared	shorn
shed	shed	shed
shine	shone	shone
shit	shit/shat/shitted	shit/shat/shitted
shoot	shot	shot
show	showed	shown/showed
shrink	shrank	shrunk
shut	shut	shut
sight-read	sight-read	sight-read
sing	sang	sung
sink	sank	sunk
sit	sat	sat
slay	slew	slain
sleep	slept	slept
slide	slid	slid
sling	slung	slung
slink	slunk	slunk
slit	slit	slit
smell	smelt	smelt
smite	smote	smitten
sneak	sneaked/snuck	sneaked/snuck
speak	spoke	spoken
speed	sped/speeded	sped/speeded
spell	spelt/spelled	spelt/spelled
spend	spent	spent
spill	spilt/spilled	spilt/spilled
spin	spun/span	spun
spoil	spoilt/spoiled	spoilt/spoiled
spread	spread	spread
stand	stood	stood
steal	stole	stolen
stick	stuck	stuck
sting	stung	stung
stink	stunk/stank	stunk
stride	strode	stridden
strike	struck	struck
string	strung	strung
sunburn	sunburned/sunburnt	sunburned/sunburnt
swear	swore	sworn
sweat	sweat/sweated	sweat/sweated
sweep	swept	swept
swell	swelled	swollen/swelled
swim	swam	swum
swing	swung	swung
take	took	taken
teach	taught	taught
tear	tore	torn
telecast	telecast	telecast
tell	told	told
think	thought	thought
throw	threw	thrown
thrust	thrust	thrust
tread	trod	trodden/trod
typewrite	typewrote	typewritten
unbend	unbent	unbent
unbind	unbound	unbound
unclothe	unclothed/unclad	unclothed/unclad
undercut	undercut	undercut
underfeed	underfed	underfed
undergo	underwent	undergone
underlie	underlay	underlain
understand	understood	understood
undertake	undertook	undertaken
underwrite	underwrote	underwritten
undo	undid	undone
unfreeze	unfroze	unfrozen
unhang	unhung	unhung
unhide	unhid	unhidden
unlearn	unlearned/unlearnt	unlearned/unlearnt
unspin	unspun	unspun
unwind	unwound	unwound
uphold	upheld	upheld
upset	upset	upset
wake	woke/waked	woken/waked
wear	wore	worn
wed	wed/wedded	wed/wedded
weep	wept	wept
wet	wet/wetted	wet/wetted
win	won	won
wind	wound	wound
withdraw	withdrew	withdrawn
withhold	withheld	withheld
withstand	withstood	withstood
work	worked	worked
wring	wrung	wrung
write	wrote	written

What is the difference between began and begun?

Misusing the words began and begun is one of the most common mishaps in English grammar. Sure, the words look and sound similar enough, but there’s a right and wrong way to use them in a sentence. 

The words began and begun are different forms of the irregular verb “to begin.” We use the verb “begin” for actions that ‘start,’ ‘initiate’ or ‘launch’ an activity or process. For example, 

“Dinner begins with an appetizer.” (present tense)
“We began dinner with an appetizer.” (simple past tense)
“We’ve begun to eat dinner.” (present perfect tense)

As shown above, we use “began” for the past tense and “begun” as the past participle for all perfect tenses. Additional verb forms include begins (plural present) and beginning (present continuous/progressive). 

”To begin” as an irregular verb…

There are several reasons why began and begun are commonly confused words, starting with the irregularities of the verb “begin.” Regular verbs consist of a simple past tense form with a present and past participle. Additionally, a regular verb’s simple past and past participle ends with -ed, such as “learned,” “passed,” or “separated.”

If “begin” were a regular verb, the past tense and past participle forms would look something like “begined”–– which is, clearly, not the case. Instead, the verb tense forms of begin look something like this:  

• Simple past tense: began
• Present tense: begin/begins
• Future tense: begin
• Progressive tense: beginning
• Perfect tenses: begun

Beginner vs. beginning?

Another reason why it’s easy to confuse began vs. begun: similar, yet different words that start with “begin.” Do the nouns “beginner” or “beginning” ring a bell? 

In addition to acting as the progressive tense form, the word “beginning” is also a noun. As explained by The American Heritage Dictionary, the noun “beginning” is ‘the time or place when something starts,’ ‘the earliest time of initiation,’ or ‘a source or cause.’ In this case, telling someone to “start at the beginning” is different from saying “something is beginning.” 

Likewise, the noun (or adjective) “beginner” describes someone or something deemed ‘entry-level,’ ‘new,’ or ‘just starting to learn something.’ For example, if you’re taking an ESL class, you might be a “beginner-English student.” Or, if you start a new exercise class, you could enroll in a “beginner’s course” to get started. 

What does begin mean?

The word begin is an irregular verb that means ‘to start,’ ‘arise,’ ‘perform,’ or ‘undergo the initial part of an action.’ Specific definitions and examples of “begin” include:

1. To initiate or ‘set about’ an activity or process. For example, 

“She began writing after work.” 
“Let’s begin with chapter 4.”
“The race begins at noon.”
“He’s in the beginning process of cleaning the garage.”
“They’ve already begun reading.” 

2. To arise or originate in existence. For example, 

“My life began in the early 90s.” 
“A new day begins whether you like it or not.” 

3. To establish or start an organization, process, or activity. For example, 

“The book club began with only three members.”
“The private school was begun by local chapter members.” 

Phrases with the verb begin:

As noted by Lexico, English speakers use the verb begin for several phrases, including: 

• “Begin/began to do something:” to start at an initial task, time, or place. 
• “Begin with:” to start with an initial element. 
• “Begin on/upon:” to start working or stating something. 
• “Begin at:” a minimum cost of something or to not have any likelihood of occurring. 
• “To begin with:” to start with something first. 

Synonyms

Actualize, appear, arise, commence, constitute, develop, embark, emerge, enter, establish, form, found, generate, inaugurate, initiate, innovate, institute, launch, materialize, open, originate, pioneer, start, surface, take-on, undertake.

Antonyms

Abolish, annihilate, annul, cease, close down, conclude, destroy, discontinue, end, expire, finish, halt, lay off, nullify, phrase out, shut up, stop, terminate, wrap up, quit.

Etymology of begin

According to The New Oxford American Dictionary, the word begin originated with Old English beginnan via early Germanic languages and is related to Dutch and German beginnen (“Begin” 150).

How to use began vs. begun in a sentence?

Now that we understand the definition and irregularities of the verb ‘to begin,’ it’s time to learn how to craft “began” and “begun” into a sentence. As a partial recap, let’s look at which verb tenses we use for all verb forms of begin. 

Begin:

• Present tense: begin/begins
• Future tense: will begin

Began:

• Simple past tense: began

Begun:

• Future perfect tense: will have begun
• Present perfect tense: have/has begun
• Past perfect tense: had begun

Beginning:

• Present continuous tense: am/are beginning
• Past continuous tense: was/were beginning
• Future continuous tense: will be beginning
• Present perfect continuous tense: have/has been beginning
• Past perfect continuous tense: had been beginning
• Future perfect continuous tense: have been beginning

When to use began vs. begun

As shown through prior verb lists, the only time we use “began” is for the simple past tense. For example, 

“I began reading Jane Austin novels.”
“He began every text message with an emoji.” 
“They began dancing and singing.” 

Meanwhile, the word “begun” only occurs for the past, present, and future perfect tenses. Example sentences include,

“By Friday, every resident will have begun the voting process.” (future perfect)
“The city has begun decorating for fall.” (present perfect)
“We had begun celebrating by then.” (past perfect) 

Writing tips for begun vs. began

The second lesson for using “begun” and “began” involves grammar and context:

Use “began” to reference a former title

If you’re looking to reference someone’s former or initial role, “began” is the best word choice. For example: 

• Correct: “She began as the assistant.”
• Incorrect: “She begun as the assistant.” 

Using “began” with inanimate subjects?

If you use “began” with an inanimate object or thing, the verb may imply that something originated or materialized into existence. For example, 

“Crater Lake began as a natural disaster.” 
“The post office began their deliveries at 5 a.m.” 
“The floor began to shake.” 

Only use “to” before “begin”

Whenever you read the word “to” before a verb, that’s because it’s written in the infinitive form (e.g., ‘to begin’). The infinitive form of a verb only contains the root word, so it’s incorrect to use other tense forms. 

• Use: “to begin.”
• Don’t use: “to began,” “to begun,” “to beginning,” etc. 

One last note: If you choose to use the infinitive phrase, beware of using “with” afterward. According to Garner’s Modern English Usage, “to begin” is an introductory phrase that we use to enumerate a reason. Therefore, writing the phrase “to begin with” can imply a chronological order, whether it’s intended or not (Garner 102). 

To illustrate, compare the implied meaning of each example sentence: 

• “We are going to begin with reading.” vs. “We are going to begin reading.” 
• “She’s to begin with Spanish 101.” vs. “She’s to begin Spanish 101.” 

Can you tell the difference? The examples above all convey a command, but using “with” appears more demanding because it implies a negated option. Let’s look at one more:

• “I don’t know what to begin with.” vs. “I don’t know what to begin.” 

For the final example, the appearance of “with” nearly changes the entire meaning of the sentence. The first example implies there are several options ‘to start,’ but the second example can imply that someone is confused or unaware of a task at hand. 

Avoid using auxiliary verbs with “began”

One of the trickier rules for “began” involves auxiliary verbs or ‘helping verbs.’ Most English speakers are aware of other auxiliary verbs like “to have,” “to do,” or “to be” because they allow other verbs to express their tense forms. But in the case of ‘begin,’ we don’t use auxiliary verbs for its past participle form. 

As noted by GMEU, linguists have made examples of phrases like ‘has began’ as “careless speech” and “writing” since 1951–– a writer’s worst nightmare, if you ask us (Garner 102). To avoid these embarrassing call-outs, avoid pairing auxiliary verbs with “began” at all costs!

Correct:

• “He will begin.” 
• “She has begun.” 
• “We have begun.”
• “I will have begun.” 

Incorrect:

• “He will began.” 
• “She has began.” 
• “We have began.” 
• “I will have began.” 

Want to learn more about verbs?

If you enjoyed learning about began vs. begun, check out our recent posts on verbs like:

• Inquire vs. enquire?
• Is vs. are?
• Lets vs. let’s?
• Into vs. in to?
• Chose vs. choose?

Test Yourself!

Confusing words like began and begun have a bad rap for a reason. See how well you understand their differences with the following multiple-choice questions. 

1. True or false: “began” and “begun” are different forms of the verb “begin.”
   a. True
   b. False
2. The word ____________ is the past participle form of begin. 
   a. Began
   b. Begin
   c. Begun
   d. Beginning
3. The word ____________ is the simple past tense form of begin.
   a. Began
   b. Beginning
   c. Begun
   d. Begin
4. Forms of the irregular verb “begin” don’t include _____________.
   a. Begins
   b. Beginner
   c. Beginner
   d. Began
5. The future tense of the verb “begin” is _____________.
   a. Beginning
   b. Began
   c. Begun
   d. Begin

Answers

1. A
2. C
3. A
4. B
5. D

Sources

1. “Begin.” Garner’s Modern American Usage, 3rd ed., Oxford University Press, 2009, pp. 102.
2. “Begin.” Lexico, Oxford University Press, 2020.
3. “Begin.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., 2020.
4. “Begin.” The New Oxford American Dictionary, 3rd ed., Oxford University Press, 2010, pp. 150. 
5. “Beginner.” The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th ed., Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2020. 
6. “Beginning.” The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th ed., Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2020. 
7. “Irregular verbs: overview and list.” OWL at Purdue, Purdue University, 2020. 
8. “To begin.” Reverso Conjugation, Reverso-Softissimo, 2020.