始める
To start, To begin to
Structure
Explanation
In Japanese, you can show that an action is starting or finishing by using the verbs 始める (to begin) and 終わる (to finish). This lesson will concentrate on how to express the 'beginning' of an action.
To indicate that an action is beginning, simply add はじめる to the stem form (ます-stem) of another verb. You can write it in either hiragana or kanji without any difference in meaning.
- 週末にレポートを書き始めます。I will start writing my report this weekend.
- 晩ご飯を作り始める。To start making dinner.
Since はじめる is a verb, it can be conjugated to express different tenses, allowing you to say that something 'will start', 'is starting', or 'has already started'.
- 来週からジムに通い始める。I will start going to the gym next week. (Will start)
- 赤ちゃんが歩き始めてきた。The baby is starting to walk. (Is starting)
- 大学生の時にギターを弾き始めた。I started playing the guitar when I was a university student. (Has started)
Caution
Be careful not to mistakenly use 始まる, which is the intransitive counterpart. This grammar structure always requires the transitive form, はじめる, because it describes someone or something initiating the action of the main verb.
Examples
赤ちゃんが泣きはじめた。
The baby started crying.
来月からピアノを弾きはじめます。
I will start playing the piano from next month.
この本を読みはじめてください。
Please begin reading this book.
息子は１歳で歩きはじめた。
My son started walking when he was one year old.
料理しはじめてから、外食が減った。
Since I started cooking, I've been eating out less.
彼女は私の顔を見て、急に笑いはじめた。
She looked at my face and suddenly started laughing.
外で犬が吠えはじめた。
A dog started barking outside.
ダイエットしはじめてから、甘い物を食べなくなりました。
Since I started my diet, I've stopped eating sweets.
小説を書きはじめてすぐ、物語を作ることの楽しさがわかった。
Soon after I started writing my novel, I realized how fun it is to create a story.
この会社に入ってから、プログラミングを学びはじめた。
I started learning programming after I joined this company.
木々の葉が色づきはじめて、秋の訪れを感じる。
The leaves on the trees have started to change color, making it feel like autumn is here.
そろそろ旅行の計画を立てはじめた方がいいんじゃない？
Don't you think it's about time you started planning the trip?