始

KANJI DETAIL

begin

On readingし

8 strokesN3

Radical 女 · woman

Stroke order

8 strokes

Japanese readings

On reading: し
Kun reading: はじめる, はじまる

Study notes

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

Structure: 始 denotes a beginning; its on-reading is し, and its kun-readings are はじまる and はじめる.
Basic usage: 始まる(はじまる) describes something beginning, while 始める(はじめる) describes starting something.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

A game beginning and people starting work
- 試合が始まった means that the game started. The description centers on the event or activity that began.
- 作業を始めた means that someone started work. It describes the person's action; the past forms 始まった and 始めた also differ in shape.