～始める

§ What does it mean and when do people use it?

The Japanese grammar point ～始める (hajimeru) literally means "to begin to do." You attach it to the stem of a verb to indicate that an action or a state is starting. It's a very practical and common expression in Japanese, useful for many situations where you want to talk about the beginning of an activity or a process.

Think of it like adding "start to" or "begin to" in English. For example, if you want to say "start to eat," you would take the verb "to eat" (食べる - taberu), find its stem (食べ - tabe), and then add 始める, making it 食べ始める (tabehajimeru). It's that straightforward. This pattern is used for pretty much any verb where you want to express the start of that action.

Definition

begin to do (used with verb stems)

People use ～始める when they want to emphasize the commencement of an action. It's not just about doing something, but specifically about the point at which that action kicks off. This can be for simple, everyday actions or more significant events.

For instance, if you've been sitting around and finally decide to tackle your homework, you might say you've 勉強し始めた (benkyou shihajimeta - started to study). Or, if it was sunny and then clouds rolled in and it started to rain, you'd say 雨が降り始めた (ame ga furihajimeta - it started to rain). The focus is on that transition from not doing to doing.

Here are some common situations where you'd hear or use ～始める:

• When someone starts a new hobby or activity.
• When a process or project kicks off.
• When a natural phenomenon begins (like rain, snow, or wind).
• When a person starts doing something they haven't been doing.

Let's look at a few examples to solidify your understanding:

Hint: He started studying Japanese.

Hint: It started to rain.

Hint: She started singing a song.

As you can see, the usage is quite consistent. Just make sure you correctly identify the verb stem. This grammar point is fundamental for expressing actions that are in their initial phase, making it a valuable addition to your Japanese vocabulary toolkit.

§ What ～始める means

Japanese Word

～始める

CEFR Level

A2

Definition

begin to do (used with verb stems)

The Japanese word ～始める (hajimeru) means "to begin to do" or "to start doing." It's a really useful verb that you attach to the stem of another verb to show that an action is starting. Think of it like adding "start to" or "begin to" before an English verb.

§ How to use it in a sentence — grammar, prepositions

Using ～始める is straightforward. You take the stem of a verb and attach ～始める to it. The verb stem is what you get when you remove the ～ます (masu) from the polite form of a verb. For example, if you have the verb 食べます (tabemasu - to eat), the stem is 食べ (tabe). Then you just add ～始める, making it 食べ始める (tabehajimeru - to start eating).

Let's look at some examples to make this clear:

• 飲む (nomu - to drink) → 飲みます (nomimasu) → 飲み (nomi) + 始める → 飲み始める (nomihajimeru - to start drinking)
• 書く (kaku - to write) → 書きます (kakimasu) → 書き (kaki) + 始める → 書き始める (kakihajimeru - to start writing)
• 話す (hanasu - to speak) → 話します (hanashimasu) → 話し (hanashi) + 始める → 話し始める (hanashihajimeru - to start speaking)

It's important to remember that ～始める itself is a verb, so it will conjugate just like any other verb. For instance, you can say 始めました (hajimemashita - started) or 始めたい (hajimetai - want to start).

Here are some example sentences:

Hint: The rain started falling.

Hint: He started studying Japanese.

Hint: The children began to play in the park.

Hint: She started reading a book.

Notice how the verb before ～始める is always in its stem form. This is a common pattern in Japanese for compound verbs, so mastering this will help you with many other constructions too.

§ What ～始める means

Japanese Word

～始める (はじめる)

Meaning

begin to do (used with verb stems)

CEFR Level

A2

§ How to form sentences with ～始める

You attach ～始める to the stem of a verb. This means you remove the ～ます from the ます-form of the verb. For example, if you have 食べます (tabemasu, to eat), the stem is 食べ (tabe). So, "to begin to eat" becomes 食べ始める (tabehajimeru).

This grammar point emphasizes the start of an action or a change in state.

§ Examples of ～始める in use

Translation Hint

It started to rain.

Translation Hint

He began to study Japanese.

Translation Hint

The child started crying.

§ Similar words and when to use ～始める vs alternatives

While ～始める directly translates to "begin to do," there are other ways to express starting an action in Japanese. It's important to know the differences so you use the right phrase at the right time.

• ～始める (hajimeru): This is used when you want to emphasize the beginning of an action that will continue for some time. It often implies a gradual start or the initiation of a process. It's also frequently used for natural phenomena or involuntary actions.

  風が吹き始めた。(Kaze ga fuki-hajimeta.)

  Translation Hint

  The wind started to blow.

• 始まる (hajimaru): This is an intransitive verb meaning "to begin" or "to start." It's used when something begins by itself, or when you're talking about an event or a scheduled activity starting. It doesn't take a direct object.

  会議が始まった。(Kaigi ga hajimatta.)

  Translation Hint

  The meeting started.

• 始める (hajimeru): This is a transitive verb meaning "to start something" or "to begin something." It takes a direct object (marked by the particle を) and implies that someone is intentionally starting an activity or task.

  仕事を始める。(Shigoto o hajimeru.)

  Translation Hint

  To start work.

In summary:

• Use ～始める when a person or thing begins a continuous action (e.g., "start eating").

• Use 始まる when an event or phenomenon begins on its own (e.g., "the class starts").

• Use 始める (transitive verb) when someone intentionally starts an activity (e.g., "start the meeting").

Paying attention to these nuances will help you communicate more precisely in Japanese. Keep practicing, and you'll get the hang of it!