beginbe‧gin /bɪˈɡɪn/ ●●● S1 W1 verb (past tense began /-ˈɡæn/, past participle begun /-ˈɡʌn/, present participle beginning) 
As everybody’s here, let’s begin. In the third year, students begin the study of classical Chinese. The president begins talks with the prime minister tonight.begin to do something She began to feel a sense of panic.begin doing something I began teaching in 1984.► see thesaurus at start2start happening [intransitive, transitive] if something begins, or you begin something, it starts to happen or exist from a particular time: It was the coldest winter since records began.begin at The meeting begins at 10.30 am.3do first [intransitive] if you begin with something or begin by doing something, this is the first thing you dobegin with Shall we begin with a prayer?begin by doing something I’ll begin by thanking you all for being here tonight.4book/word etc [intransitive] if a book, film, or word begins with something, it starts with a particular event or letterbegin with ‘Psychosis’ begins with a P.RegisterIn everyday English, people usually say start rather than begin:· The movie starts at 7.45.· Let’s start by introducing ourselves.· Not many English names start with X.5speech [intransitive, transitive] to start speaking: ‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ he began. ‘I am delighted to be here.’6to begin with a)spoken used to introduce the first and most important point you want to make: Well, to begin with, he shouldn’t even have been driving my car. b)used to say that something was already in a particular condition before something else happened: I didn’t break it! It was like that to begin with. c)during the first part of a process or activity: The kids helped me to begin with, but they soon got bored.7can’t begin to understand/imagine etc spoken used to emphasize how difficult something is to understand etc: I can’t begin to imagine how awful it was.GRAMMARBegin belongs to a group of verbs where the same noun can be the subject of the verb or its object.• You can say: · They began the meeting at 9. In this sentence, ‘the meeting’ is the object of begin.• You can also say: · The meeting began at 9. In this sentence, ‘the meeting’ is the subject of begin.Grammar guide ‒ VERBSbegin (something) as something phrasal verb to be a particular thing at the start of your existence, working life etc: Roger began his career as an office boy.
WORD ORIGINbegin
Origin:
Old English beginnanVERB TABLE
begin
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | begin |
| he, she, it | begins | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | began |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have begun |
| he, she, it | has begun | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had begun |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will begin |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have begun |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am beginning |
| he, she, it | is beginning | |
| you, we, they | are beginning | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was beginning |
| you, we, they | were beginning | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been beginning |
| he, she, it | has been beginning | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been beginning |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be beginning |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been beginning |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- "What do you mean?" she said, beginning to laugh.
- Casting for the play will begin next week.
- More and more people are beginning to do their shopping on-line.
- Once the children were quiet, the teacher began.
- The audience suddenly began shouting and cheering.
- They began their holiday in Italy, and then went on to Greece.
- And when he begins that breathing, he automatically feels calm and in control.
- As the meat begins to firm from cooking, it will be less likely to stick to the grill.
- I held the stare until my eyes began to water.
- Peter came in and began to chat me up.
- Several new businesses began operating during the year and are already trading profitably.
THESAURUSto start doing something
to begin doing something: · I’m starting a new job next week.· It’s time we started.
to start doing something.Begin is more formal than start, and is used especially in written English: · He began to speak.· The orchestra began playing.· Shall we begin?
formal to start doing something: · The company will commence drilling next week.· Work was commenced on the next power station.
to finally start doing something, especially your work: · Come on, Sam – it’s time you got down to some homework.· We’d better get down to business.
to start a journey: · What time do you have to set off in the morning?· I usually set off for work at about 8.30.
to start a long journey: · The ship set out from Portsmouth on July 12th.
especially written to start something, especially something new, difficult, or exciting: · The Law Society has embarked on a major programme of reform.· Jamaica was embarking on a decade of musical creativity.
formal to start doing something again after stopping it or being interrupted: · Normal train services will be resumed on April 5th.· Trade was resumed after the end of the war.
informal to start doing something or going somewhere: · I think we should get cracking straightaway.
to start happening to begin: · What time does the film start?
to start. Begin is more formal than start and is used especially in written English: · · The trial began in March.· Work on the new bridge will begin early next year.
to start being shown to the public – used about a play, show, or exhibition: · Lloyd Webber’s new musical opened in London last week.· A major exhibition of her work will open in New York in November.
formal to start happening: · The voting has already commenced.· The work is scheduled to commence in April.
to start happening or being done – used especially about something that is likely to last a long time: · Construction work is getting under way on a new train network.· Discussions concerning the plan got under way on April 2.
to start happening – used especially about a fire, a fight, war, or a disease: · Police were called in when fighting broke out in the crowd.· The blaze broke out on the third floor of the hotel.
informal to start – used especially about a football game or a meeting: · The match is due to kick off this afternoon at Wembley Stadium.· What time will the celebrations kick off?
Longman Language Activatorat the beginning · At the start it looked as though Italy would win, but Argentina improved as the game went on.· She was nervous at the beginning but she settled down as she got further into her speech.at the beginning/start of · We pay our rent at the beginning of the month.· For homework tonight, start at the beginning of chapter three and read up to page 98.· At the start of the century, barely 3% of the population was literate.
use this to say what happened at the beginning, especially when something different happened later. Initially is more formal than at first: · Barney was quiet at first, but gradually he became more confident.· At first I didn't think Nancy and I would get along.· They offered her the job, initially on a temporary basis but later as a full member of the staff.
especially spoken use this to talk about what happens at the beginning, especially when something different may happen later: · Our employees receive health benefits and $28,000 a year to start with.· Even children who are healthy to begin with wouldn't survive long in these terrible conditions.
at the beginning - use this to talk about the situation at the time in the past when something first started: · Originally, they told me I was only going to work 35 hours a week.· Two hundred people showed up for the wedding, about 50 more than we originally planned.
formal if something is known, believed, decided etc at the outset , it is known etc from the very earliest point in a period of time or activity: · Sylvia knew at the outset what her ultimate goals were.· It had been decided at the outset that Theresa would be our spokesperson.
to start doing something · We can't start until Carol gets here.· I'm starting a new job next week.· Have you started that book yet? (=started reading it)start doing something · I've just started learning German.· It was getting dark so we started looking for a place to stay the night.start to do something · Halfway through the performance, she started to feel a little faint.· Outside, it was starting to rain.
to start doing something. Begin is more formal than start and is used especially in written English: · Once the children were quiet, the teacher began.· They began their holiday in Italy, and then went on to Greece.begin to do something: · More and more people are beginning to do their shopping on-line.· "What do you mean?" she said, beginning to laugh.begin doing something: · The audience suddenly began shouting and cheering.
to finally start doing something, especially work, after you have been avoiding doing it or after something has prevented you from doing it: · Come on Sam - it's time you got down to some homework.get down to to doing something: · When the summer comes, we must get down to painting the outside of the house.get down to business: · OK, can everyone take a seat now, and we'll get down to business.
to start a piece of work that will take a fairly long time: · The exam was almost over and I hadn't even started on question 3.· It was time to start on all those little jobs around the house that he'd been putting off.· We can't start on the building work until planning permission comes through.
to start a long and fairly difficult piece of work, especially in an energetic and determined way: · Philip set about the task with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm.· Why don't we set to work really early, and try to get it finished in one day?set about/set to work doing something: · If there is a serious problem, it's far better to admit it and set about tackling it.set to work to do something: · Workmen had already set to work to clear the fallen trees.set to work on something: · Once in power, the government set to work on major reforms to the tax system.
to start doing something after you have finished doing something else: · Martin marched into the shop and proceeded to hurl abuse at the girl behind the counter.· After listening carefully to my advice, she proceeded to do the exact opposite!
to start doing something after a delay or interruption that has stopped you giving it your full attention: · After lunch the children settled down to finish their science projects.settle down to to doing something: · It was two o'clock before I could finally settle down to writing the next chapter.
to suddenly start a long speech or story, especially if you are criticizing something or giving an entertaining description of something: · Annie arrived late and immediately launched into a lengthy description of the terrible traffic on the roads.· At that point the young man stood up and launched into a passionate party-political speech.
to start a large piece of work or an important activity, especially one that will be difficult or will take a long time: · In the 1950s China embarked on a massive program of industrialization and mechanization.· After leaving his office job, he embarked upon a highly successful writing career.
to gradually start to like, fear, expect etc something over a period of time: · Rowling's latest book is full of all the magic and excitement that her young readers have come to expect.· At first I thought he was a bit strange, but I grew to like and respect him over the years.· My teacher said that this wasn't the kind of work that she'd come to expect of me.
spoken informal to start doing something immediately, because you are in a hurry or there is a lot to do: · Come on! - get cracking. I want this whole house clean by the time I get back.· You'd better get cracking if you want to get to the airport by ten.
to start happening begin is more formal than start , and is used especially in written English: · Do you know what time our first class starts?· My day starts at 5 or 6 o'clock, when the baby wakes up.· The movie was just beginning when Richard and James arrived.· Work on the new bridge will begin next year.
if a play or show opens , it starts being shown to the public: · Andrew Lloyd Webber's new musical will open later this year.· A permanent exhibition of Moore's work will open next year.
informal if a planned event such as a game or a meeting kicks off , it starts: · If the meeting kicks off on time, we should be finished by 12 o'clock.kick off with: · The carnival kicked off with a wonderful firework display.
to start doing something regularly to start doing something that you then do regularly. Begin is more formal than start and is used especially in written English: start/begin doing something: · I started going to the gym two years ago.· She was only 16 when she began seeing Alan.start/begin to do something: · His parents got divorced last year - that's when he started to take drugs.
to become interested in a sport or activity, and start to spend time doing it: · When did Bryan take up golf?· Your pictures are so good - you could take up painting as a profession.
to start doing something dangerous or illegal: · Hal turned to drinking after his wife and kids were killed in a car crash.· Research shows that young people without jobs are most likely to turn to crime.
to start doing something frequently, especially something that is annoying or worrying : · There's a big ginger cat that's taken to coming in our house at night.· My daughter took to spending hours alone in her room, only coming downstairs for meals.
to start to do something so often that it becomes a habit: · I only used to have one or two cigarettes, but then I got into the habit of it.get into the habit of of doing something: · Try to get into the habit of planning your work at the beginning of the day.
to start an activity, job, speech etc by doing the first part of it to do something as the first part of an activity or job: start by/begin by doing something: · There were two interviewers and they began by asking me questions about my last job.· When you're drawing a face, you should start by trying to imagine the bones underneath.
to think about, introduce, or deal with something as the first part of an activity: · If I were you, I'd start with the easy questions.· The lecturer began with a short account of the history of the UN.· Decorating the place was a huge job, and we started with the kitchen and the hall.
to start something such as a meeting or discussion by introducing a subject or speaking first: · Is there anyone here who would like to lead off the debate?· The Chief Executive led off by pointing out that a merger was only one option.lead off with: · We asked the sales director to lead off with the latest sales figures.
informal to do something as the first part of an activity or an event such as a party or a concert: · Let's kick off with an Indian meal somewhere, and go on to a club after that.kick off something with something: · Phelps kicked off an outstanding night's music with a beautifully played Mozart Symphony.
to begin to understand something to slowly begin to understand a situation or someone's feelings, because you get more information or because you experience something for yourself: · I think it will be a long time before we even begin to understand how damaging the effect has been.· Patients are given written information and videos so that they can begin to understand more about their condition.begin to understand that: · I was beginning to understand that being alone could be terribly depressing.begin to understand why/how/what etc: · As we walked up the narrow staircases, we began to understand why the Dutch haul their furniture up the outside of the buildings and through the windows.
informal to begin to understand something that is not easy to understand: · Thomas isn't catching on as quickly as some of the other children.catch on to: · It took Jennifer a long time to catch on to the fact that Mary was taking advantage of her.catch on fast/quickly: · She catches on fast and will soon be promoted.
spoken to finally understand something, especially after it has been explained to you several times: · Okay, I get it. You only get paid if you sell at least ten copies.· "So the plant takes in carbon dioxide and gives out oxygen." "That's it. You've got it."
to think about something until you understand it, especially something complicated: · Horgan thought he had it all figured out, but he hadn't.figure/work something out: · In case you haven't figured it out yet, we've been tricked.figure/work out how/why/what etc: · Detectives are still trying to work out what happened.
British informal to begin to understand a situation by what you see and hear around you, and not by being told directly: · Oh, I get it, I've twigged at last. How much do you want?twig that: · At last I twigged that I was pregnanttwig why/where/what etc: · It took him about two minutes to twig what I was going on about!
informal to begin to understand a situation by what you see and hear around you, and not by being told directly: cotton on to: · It took him a while to cotton on to what was happening.· Large stores have at last cottoned on to the fact that mothers with pushchairs can't cope with stairs.
if something clicks , especially something you are learning, you suddenly begin to understand it: · Just keep working at it, and suddenly it will all click.
if several facts fall into place , you begin to understand how they are connected and why each one is important, so that you understand a whole situation or subject: · Once the police received this new evidence, things began falling into place.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Saccani’s excellent recording is an auspicious start to what promises to be a distinguished musical career. On Monday your training begins in earnest! the beginning of a new epoch the lengthening days that signal the end of winter Rumors about the killings have begun to surface in the press.
Saccani’s excellent recording is an auspicious start to what promises to be a distinguished musical career.· Jacobson started his banking career in 1990.
· Coco Chanel was born in France at the beginning of the century.
· His character is introduced at the beginning of the first chapter.
· Developers are planning to begin construction on a new housing project.
· French and German officials began consultations with officials from the other four nations.
· She suddenly started to cry.
On Monday your training begins in earnest!· Michael Jordon led the race from beginning to end.
the beginning of a new epoch· A new era began for Northern Ireland with the signing of the peace agreement.
· The closure of the last coal mine marked the end of an era in Wales.
· He began the journey home across London.
· He suddenly began to laugh.
· You’ll receive your wages at the end of the month.
· The nightmare began when her mother fell ill.
(also institute proceedings formal)· They threatened to begin legal proceedings against him.
· The Chancellor is confident that we shall see the end of the recession in the next few months.
· She is in no hurry to start another relationship.
· Riots broke out last month following the verdict.
the lengthening days that signal the end of winter· Dock workers began a 24-hour strike last night.
Rumors about the killings have begun to surface in the press.· Talks began in October and Venezuela said it expects an agreement to be signed soon.
· The beginning of term was only two days away.
· It is clear from the very beginning of the play that he is a weak and unpopular ruler.
· Work had already started on the bridge when the error was spotted.
· They moved here at the beginning of last year.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· When Charles's troops had re-formed, battle began again.· The next night, the same fight began again.· The race begins again in the chilly, wet, industrialised north.· Racial violence began again when law enforcement officers brutalized peaceful civil rights protestors.· I shouted again to encourage him and the footsteps began again, this time crunching in my direction.· After four carefree years, one enters the Company, where the daily round of obedient toil begins again.· Next morning, the snowstorm stopped, and the journey began again.· It was begun again in 1939 and opened in July 1943.
· Voice over Monitoring of the service has already begun, and results for the first four months will be published in May.· Work has already begun on felling alien species on the 750-hectare Glenmore reserve.· The 46-year-old has already begun his job.· Experts have reported that rock falls have already begun, and that the ceiling of the chamber may collapse within two years.· Pat Hayes, a 10-year plant veteran at the age of 30, has already begun to hedge her bets.· Early in 1202 secret negotiations had already begun between Otto and Innocent.· She had already begun to gyrate and deepen, before expanding like some mammoth top.
NOUN· He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant to Jim Harrick at Pepperdine in 1982.· She began her journalism career with the Dayton Journal Herald as a copy girl.· Nevertheless, several of the experimental novelists mentioned above actually began their careers in the 1930s.· When and if he actually begins a major league career, Irabu had better be good.· Lawrence was thirty-six years old, the same age at which his father had begun his own theatrical career.· He had begun this career with exceptional promise, creating a splendid army.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► can’t begin to understand/imagine etcPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► end/finish/begin etc (something) on a high note
- It might be on sale, but it was way overpriced to begin with.
- To begin with, much of this new housing is not affordable.
- To keep from going into debt to begin with, set a budget and stick to it.
- But there is too little water to begin with, and water in rivers is phenomenally-expensive to move.
- Hopefully, the test items gave you some ideas about where to begin with your positive plot.
- If the bonds were ours to begin with..
- It was totally unnecessary, to begin with.
- The trick is to begin with the empty set, which has no members.
- They were Hale and Pace to begin with.
- You don't need a complex system for that - just time and some simple logic to begin with.
- Your first effort may well look like a rag doll, but this is quite adequate to begin with.
- Los Angeles was regarded as the place to begin life anew.
- And then silence again and the whole sequence begins anew.
- If nothing else, the legal clock on the case will likely start anew when it returns to the trial court.
- She was fresher now, more confident; confident enough to scrap the entire chapter and begin anew.
- The reaction would start anew, but this time with no way to remove its heat.
- The sun floods in, young plants shoot upwards and the struggle starts anew as the winners block light from their inferiors.
- We should at least be able to start anew with some element of hope.
- When this landmass begins to warm up that section of the mantle, the cycle begins anew.
- After all, charity begins at home.
- Despite the profit-making prospects in this it has been treated with utter contempt on the grounds that charity begins at home.
- But Effie Bawn was in at the start.
WORD FAMILYnounbeginnerbeginningverbbegin
1start doing something [intransitive, transitive] to start doing something: As everybody’s here, let’s begin. In the third year, students begin the study of classical Chinese. The president begins talks with the prime minister tonight.begin to do something She began to feel a sense of panic.begin doing something I began teaching in 1984.► see thesaurus at start2start happening [intransitive, transitive] if something begins, or you begin something, it starts to happen or exist from a particular time: It was the coldest winter since records began.begin at The meeting begins at 10.30 am.3do first [intransitive] if you begin with something or begin by doing something, this is the first thing you dobegin with Shall we begin with a prayer?begin by doing something I’ll begin by thanking you all for being here tonight.4book/word etc [intransitive] if a book, film, or word begins with something, it starts with a particular event or letterbegin with ‘Psychosis’ begins with a P.RegisterIn everyday English, people usually say start rather than begin:· The movie starts at 7.45.· Let’s start by introducing ourselves.· Not many English names start with X.5speech [intransitive, transitive] to start speaking: ‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ he began. ‘I am delighted to be here.’6to begin with a)spoken used to introduce the first and most important point you want to make: Well, to begin with, he shouldn’t even have been driving my car. b)used to say that something was already in a particular condition before something else happened: I didn’t break it! It was like that to begin with. c)during the first part of a process or activity: The kids helped me to begin with, but they soon got bored.7can’t begin to understand/imagine etc spoken used to emphasize how difficult something is to understand etc: I can’t begin to imagine how awful it was.GRAMMARBegin belongs to a group of verbs where the same noun can be the subject of the verb or its object.• You can say: · They began the meeting at 9. In this sentence, ‘the meeting’ is the object of begin.• You can also say: · The meeting began at 9. In this sentence, ‘the meeting’ is the subject of begin.Grammar guide ‒ VERBSbegin (something) as something phrasal verb to be a particular thing at the start of your existence, working life etc: Roger began his career as an office boy.