GRAMMAR DETAIL
始める
Follows the verb stem to mark the point when an action or phenomenon begins.
Examples
冷たい雨が夕方から降りはじめた。
A cold rain began to fall in the evening.
Words used
会議が始まる前から、参加者が集まり始めた。
The participants began to gather even before the meeting started.
Words used
朝になると鳥が鳴き始めました。
When morning came, the birds began to sing.
Words used
Study notes
1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning
- Structure: A verb's
ますstem takes始める. - Basic usage:
鳴き始めましたindicates that the birds began to sing.
2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions
- Compared with 始まる
会議が始まるdescribes the meeting itself starting, while集まり始めるdescribes the act of gathering starting. In the latter, the first verb's stem takes始める.
- Unintentional developments
- It also describes natural phenomena, as in
雨が降りはじめた. The form始めるalone does not imply that someone deliberately started the event.
- It also describes natural phenomena, as in