transcription, транскрипция: [ bɪgɪn ]
( begins, beginning, began, begun)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
To begin to do something means to start doing it.
He stood up and began to move around the room...
The weight loss began to look more serious...
Snow began falling again.
= start
≠ stop
VERB : V to-inf , V to-inf , V -ing
2.
When something begins or when you begin it, it takes place from a particular time onwards.
The problems began last November...
He has just begun his fourth year in hiding...
The US is prepared to begin talks immediately.
= start, commence
≠ end
VERB : V , V n , V n
3.
If you begin with something, or begin by doing something, this is the first thing you do.
Could I begin with a few formalities?
...a businessman who began by selling golf shirts from the boot of his car...
He began his career as a sound editor.
= start
≠ end
VERB : V with n , V by -ing , V n prep
4.
You use begin to mention the first thing that someone says.
‘Professor Theron,’ he began, ‘I’m very pleased to see you’...
He didn’t know how to begin.
≠ conclude
VERB : no cont , V with quote , V
5.
If one thing began as another, it first existed in the form of the second thing.
What began as a local festival has blossomed into an international event.
= start
VERB : no cont , V as n
6.
If you say that a thing or place begins somewhere, you are talking about one of its limits or edges.
The fate line begins close to the wrist...
≠ end
VERB : no cont , V prep / adv
7.
If a word begins with a particular letter, that is the first letter of that word.
The first word begins with an F.
= start
≠ end
VERB : no cont , V with n
8.
If you say that you cannot begin to imagine, understand, or explain something, you are emphasizing that it is almost impossible to explain, understand, or imagine.
You can’t begin to imagine how much that saddens me.
VERB : no cont , with brd-neg , V to-inf [ emphasis ]
9.
You use to begin with when you are talking about the first stage of a situation, event, or process.
It was great to begin with but now it’s difficult.
PHRASE : PHR with cl
10.
You use to begin with to introduce the first of several things that you want to say.
‘What do scientists you’ve spoken with think about that?’—‘Well, to begin with, they doubt it’s going to work.’
= firstly
PHRASE : PHR with cl
11.
to begin life: see life