begin

A1 Topic:Actions & Processes

Also spelled beginnin

US /bɪˈɡɪn/ UK /bɪˈɡɪn/ See IPA manual

Freq #1180

Meanings

1

verb
To start doing something.

I began playing the piano at the age of five.
2

verb
To start to happen or exist.

The race begins right over the hill.
3

verb
To start something or set it in motion.

Let us begin before it gets too late.
4

verb
To start in a particular way.

The novel begins with a murder.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Multiword verbs with begin

begin with Prepositional verb A1

to use something as the first part or step of an activity

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to start doing something. start

2 verb · to start to happen or exist. start commence

3 verb · to start something or set... commence start

4 verb · to start in a particular way. start

More get go inchoate initiate issue open originate

Opposites

end

Word family

Forms beganbeginsbegun

Derived forms beginnablebeginner beginningmisbegunrebeginunbegun

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

begin with
to use something as the first part or step of an activity

Verb + preposition/particle

Proverbs (4)

See all

Etymology

From Middle English beginnen, from Old English beginnan (“to begin”), from Proto-West Germanic *biginnan, from Proto-Germanic *biginnaną (“to begin”), from be- + base verb *ginnaną also found in Old English onginnan.

beginnen Middle English beginnan Old English *biginnan Proto-West Germanic *biginnaną Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# begin

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /bɪˈɡɪn/
**IPA (UK):** /bɪˈɡɪn/
**Frequency rank:** 1180

## Meanings
1. To start doing something.
2. To start to happen or exist.
3. To start something or set it in motion.
4. To start in a particular way.

## Examples
- I began playing the piano at the age of five.
- The race begins right over the hill.
- Let us begin before it gets too late.
- The novel begins with a murder.

## Synonyms
- commence
- get
- go
- inchoate
- initiate
- issue
- open
- originate
- start

## Antonyms
- end

## Derived Forms
- beginnable
- beginner
- beginning
- misbegun
- rebegin
- unbegun

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: beginnen
- Root: beginnan
- Root: *biginnan
- Root: *biginnaną

## Etymology
From Middle English beginnen, from Old English beginnan (“to begin”), from Proto-West Germanic *biginnan, from Proto-Germanic *biginnaną (“to begin”), from be- + base verb *ginnaną also found in Old English onginnan.

## AI Etymology
Begin comes from Middle English beginnen, from Old English beginnan (“to begin”), from Proto-West Germanic *biginnan, from Proto-Germanic *biginnaną (“to begin”), from be- + base verb *ginnaną also found in Old English onginnan.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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