Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
To begin (an action); to start V-ing.
🎯 Primary Function
To form a compound verb indicating the initiation of the action described by the first verb.
📋 Grammar Structure
Verb (Masu Stem) + 始める (はじめる)
N/A (Verb pattern only)
N/A (Verb pattern only)
V-masu stem + 始めない (はじめたばかりではない)
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Used in formal settings by conjugating the final 始める into its polite forms (e.g., 始めます, 始めました).
Informal Situations
Commonly used in plain forms (e.g., 始める, 始めた).
Written Language
Frequently appears in narrative writing, instructions, and reports.
Spoken Language
Very common in everyday conversation to describe the start of actions or events.
💡 Common Applications
Indicating the commencement of an action.
This is the most common use, simply stating that an action has commenced.
Example: 彼は走り始めました。(Kare wa hashiri-hajimemashita. – He started running.)
Describing the start of a natural phenomenon or involuntary change.
Often used for weather, season changes, or physiological processes.
Example: 空が暗くなり、雨が降り始めた。(Sora ga kuraku nari, ame ga furi-hajimeta. – The sky got dark, and it started raining.)
Emphasizing the beginning point in a series of events.
Used when defining the specific time or condition under which an action was initiated.
Example: 子供が日本語を話し始めたのは５歳のときだった。(Kodomo ga Nihongo o hanashi-hajimeta no wa go-sai no toki datta. – The child started speaking Japanese when they were 5.)
Frequency
High
Difficulty
JLPT N4/N3
Tag:
Example Sentences
Example #1
急に、大粒の雨が降り始めました。
Furigana: きゅうに、おおつぶの あめが ふりはじめました。
Romaji: Kyū ni, ōtsubu no ame ga furi-hajimemashita.
English: It suddenly started raining heavily.
Example #2
彼がドアを開けたとき、犬が大きな声で吠え始めました。
Furigana: かれが ドアを あけた とき、いぬが おおきな こえで ほえはじめました。
Romaji: Kare ga doa o aketa toki, inu ga ōkina koe de hoe-hajimemashita.
English: When he opened the door, the dog started barking loudly.
Example #3
赤ちゃんは先月ようやく歩き始めました。
Furigana: あかちゃんは せんげつ ようやく あるきはじめました。
Romaji: Akachan wa sengetsu yōyaku aruki-hajimemashita.
English: The baby finally started walking last month.
Example #4
彼女は早速、新しい小説を読み始めました。
Furigana: かのじょは さっそく、あたらしい しょうせつを よみはじめました。
Romaji: Kanojo wa sassoku, atarashii shōsetsu o yomi-hajimemashita.
English: She started reading the new novel right away.
Example #5
長い議論の後、会議はようやく動き始めました。
Furigana: ながい ぎろんの あと、かいぎは ようやく うごきはじめました。
Romaji: Nagai giron no ato, kaigi wa yōyaku ugoki-hajimemashita.
English: After a long discussion, the meeting finally started moving forward.
Example #6
一度食べ始めると、やめられません。
Furigana: いちど たべはじめると、やめられません。
Romaji: Ichido tabe-hajimeru to, yameraremasen.
English: Once you start eating, you can’t stop.
Example #7
彼は日本語をまだ習い始めたばかりなので、あまり話せません。
Furigana: かれは にほんごを まだ ならびはじめたばかりなので、あまり はなせません。
Romaji: Kare wa Nihongo o mada narai-hajimeta bakari nanode, amari hanasemasen.
English: He has only just started learning Japanese, so he can’t speak much yet.
Example #8
今朝から、寒い日が続き始めました。
Furigana: けさから、さむい ひが つづきはじめました。
Romaji: Kesa kara, samui hi ga tsuzuki-hajimemashita.
English: The cold weather started from this morning.
Example #9
紅葉の色が、色づき始めました。
Furigana: こうようの いろが、いろづきはじめました。
Romaji: Kōyō no iro ga, irozuki-hajimemashita.
English: The colors of the autumn leaves have started changing.
Example #10
忙しすぎて、旅行の準備を始められませんでした。
Furigana: いそがしすぎて、りょこうの じゅんびを はじめられませんでした。
Romaji: Isogashisugite, ryokō no junbi o hajimeraremasen deshita.
English: I was too busy, so I couldn’t start preparing for the trip.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
V-始める forms a single, new compound verb.
The V-masu stem of 食べる (to eat) is 食べ. 食べ + 始める becomes a new Group 2 verb.
Example: ご飯を食べ始めた。(Gohan o tabe-hajimeta. – I started eating.)
Often paired with ばかり or ところ.
It is frequently used with ばかりだ (just finished V-ing) to emphasize the recentness of the commencement.
Example: 彼はまだ歩き始めたばかりだ。(Kare wa mada aruki-hajimeta bakari da. – He has only just started walking.)
Distinguish from Nを始める (transitive).
When the base verb is a する-verb, both the direct object structure (Nを始める) and the compound verb structure (Nし始める) are possible, with the compound verb being more focused on the *commencement of the action process*.
Example: 勉強を始めた。(Benkyō o hajimeta. – I started studying.) VS 勉強し始めた。(Benkyō shi-hajimeta. – I started to study/commenced studying.)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ 読む始める or 読みます始める
✅ V-る/V-ます + 始める
Students often forget to use the V-masu stem and mistakenly attach 始める directly to the dictionary form or the polite form.
❌ 着き始めた (Tsuki-hajimeta)
✅ Using 始める for actions that have no duration.
V-始める implies a process that takes time. It is generally not used for momentary actions (like 着く ‘to arrive’ or 死ぬ ‘to die’). Use simpler expressions for these.
❌ 間違った助詞の使用 (Incorrect particle usage)
✅ Mixing up transitive and intransitive uses.
When using 始める as a standalone verb (V.を始める), it is transitive. When used as a suffix (V-始める), the compound verb inherits the transitivity of the *first* verb (e.g., 食べ始める is transitive, 降り始める is intransitive).
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral. Politeness is conveyed through the conjugation of 始める (e.g., V-始めます vs. V-始める).
Social Situations: Used universally in all social contexts where expressing the commencement of an action is necessary.
Regional Variations: Standard across all regions of Japan.
🔍 Subtle Differences
V-始める (はじめる) vs. V-出す (だす)
始める indicates a standard, planned, or natural initiation. 出す indicates a sudden, abrupt, or unexpected commencement, often with a sense of spontaneity or bursting forth.
When to use: Use V-始める for gradual or intentional beginnings (e.g., ‘start learning’). Use V-出す for sudden, involuntary actions (e.g., ‘burst into tears’).
V-始める (はじめる) vs. V-にかかる (にかかる)
始める means the action has actively started. V-にかかる means the action is *about* to start or has just barely been initiated, often implying it’s not yet fully underway (only used with a few verbs like 書きかかる – ‘start writing but not finish’).
When to use: Use V-始める when the action is definitely underway. Use V-にかかる only for the rare instances where you want to emphasize partial completion or being on the verge of starting.
📝 Conjugation Notes
The resulting compound verb (V-masu stem + 始める) is a regular Group 2 verb (Ichidan verb or る-verb). This means its conjugation is straightforward: 始めます, 始めた, 始めない, 始められる (potential), etc.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
The pitch accent of the compound verb often shifts to the stem of 始める, making the structure flow together as one word. (e.g., 食べ始める: [ta-be-ha-ji-ME-ru])
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of the structure as taking the “base” of the verb (V-masu stem) and then “starting” that base action. The *masu* form base is the part of the verb you use to begin many different grammar patterns.
Other Grammar
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