- Stem: begin-
- Past Participle: begonnen
- Auxiliary Verb: haben
- Usage: Indicates the start of something; more formal or written style
- Can be used with time expressions, activities, or objects
Standard Conjugation in the Present Tense
The verb beginnen follows a regular conjugation pattern in the present tense:
| German Pronoun | German Conjugation | English Conjugation | Example (German) | Example (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | beginne | I begin | Ich beginne das Projekt. | I begin the project. |
| du | beginnst | you begin | Du beginnst um acht Uhr. | You begin at eight o’clock. |
| er/sie/es | beginnt | he/she/it begins | Sie beginnt die Arbeit. | She begins the work. |
| wir | beginnen | we begin | Wir beginnen jetzt. | We begin now. |
| ihr | beginnt | you all begin | Ihr beginnt morgen. | You all begin tomorrow. |
| sie/Sie | beginnen | they/you begin | Sie beginnen pünktlich. | They begin on time. |
Past Tense Forms
Simple Past (Präteritum):
- Used mainly in written German and formal contexts.
- Conjugation pattern: begann- stem with standard endings.
| Pronoun | German Form | English Form | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | begann | I began | Ich begann gestern. | I began yesterday. |
| du | begannst | you began | Du begannst früh. | You began early. |
| er/sie/es | begann | he/she/it began | Er begann spät. | He began late. |
| wir | begannen | we began | Wir begannen zusammen. | We began together. |
| ihr | begannt | you all began | Ihr begannt um sieben. | You all began at seven. |
| sie/Sie | begannen | they/you began | Sie begannen pünktlich. | They began on time. |
Present Perfect (Perfekt):
- Commonly used in spoken German.
- Formed with haben + begonnen (past participle).
| Pronoun | Auxiliary + Participle | English Form | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | habe begonnen | I have begun | Ich habe begonnen. | I have begun. |
| du | hast begonnen | you have begun | Du hast begonnen. | You have begun. |
| er/sie/es | hat begonnen | he/she/it has begun | Sie hat begonnen. | She has begun. |
| wir | haben begonnen | we have begun | Wir haben begonnen. | We have begun. |
| ihr | habt begonnen | you all have begun | Ihr habt begonnen. | You all have begun. |
| sie/Sie | haben begonnen | they/you have begun | Sie haben begonnen. | They have begun. |
Usage and Example Sentences
The verb beginnen is typically used with direct objects or time expressions to specify what is starting or when it is starting. It is more formal than anfangen but both are often interchangeable.
- To begin a task: *Ich beginne die Hausaufgaben.
- To begin at a certain time: *Der Kurs beginnt um neun Uhr.
- To begin a speech or meeting: *Er begann mit einer Einführung.
Other Forms and Related Verbs
- beginnen mit + Dativ: to begin with something
- Wir beginnen mit dem Essen.* (We begin with the meal.)
- anfangen: another verb meaning "to begin," more common in spoken German
- Wir fangen jetzt an.* (We’re starting now.)
- begonnen: past participle
- Beginn (noun): beginning, start
How do you say 'We begin with the meeting' using 'beginnen'?
Wir beginnen mit der Besprechung.
'Beginnen mit' requires the dative case, so 'die Besprechung' changes to 'der Besprechung.'
What case does the noun following 'mit' take in the phrase 'beginnen mit ___'?
Dative
The preposition 'mit' always takes the dative case, so the noun after 'beginnen mit' is in the dative.
Common Collocations
Here are some common words and phrases that go well with beginnen:
- beginnen + Zeitangabe (time expression)
- Der Film beginnt um 20 Uhr.*
- beginnen + mit + Dativ (to begin with something)
- Sie beginnen mit dem Projekt.*
- einen Satz/eine Rede beginnen (to begin a sentence/a speech)
- Er beginnt seine Rede mit einem Zitat.*
Summary
- beginnen means "to begin" or "to start."
- It is mostly regular but uses the stem beginn-.
- Past participle: begonnen.
- Auxiliary verb: haben.
- More formal than anfangen.
- Can be used with direct objects, time expressions, or mit + Dativ.
Flashcards (1 of 18)
- English Conjugation: I begin
- Example (English): I begin the project.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
