JLPT N4 grammar

〜始めるmeaning and usage

Meaning

To begin to A; A begins

How to form it

  • verb (masu-stem)始める

How it is used

After a masu-stem: an action or change begins (「読み始める」, 「咲き始める」). It works for both planned starts and natural changes. To stress suddenness, use 「〜出す」.

Examples

  1. 晩ご飯を食べた後、 テレビを見始めました。

    After I ate dinner I began to watch TV.

  2. 去年から日本語を習い始めました。

    I started learning Japanese last year.

  3. 三月になって、桜が咲き始めた。

    It's March, and the cherry blossoms have started to bloom.

  4. この会社で働き始めて、もう五年になる。

    It's been five years since I started working at this company.