[VERB 动词]开始；着手 To begin to do something means to start doing it.
[V to-inf]
[V -ing]
He stood up and began to move around the room...
他起身开始在屋里来回走动。
The weight loss began to look more serious...
体重下降眼看开始变得愈发厉害了。
Snow began falling again.
雪又开始下了。
2
[V-ERG 及物/不及物动词]（使）开始（进行或存在） When something begins or when you begin it, it takes place from a particular time onwards.
[V]
[V n]
The problems began last November...
问题在去年11月份开始出现。
He has just begun his fourth year in hiding...
他东躲西藏的第四个年头刚刚开始。
The US is prepared to begin talks immediately.
美国愿意立刻开始谈判。
3
[VERB 动词]从…开始；从…着手；首先做（某事） If you begin with something, or begin by doing something, this is the first thing you do.
[V with n]
[V by -ing]
[V n prep]
Could I begin with a few formalities?
请允许我开场先讲几句套话。
...a businessman who began by selling golf shirts from the boot of his car...
靠他的汽车后备箱练摊兜售高尔夫球衫起家的商人
He began his career as a sound editor.
他是从声音剪辑师做起的。
4
[VERB 动词]开始说；开口说 You use begin to mention the first thing that someone says.
[V with quote]
[V]
[no cont]
'Professor Theron,' he began, 'I'm very pleased to see you'...
“西伦教授，”他开口说道，“很高兴见到您。”
He didn't know how to begin.
他不知从何说起。
5
[VERB 动词]起初是；开始是 If one thing began as another, it first existed in the form of the second thing.
[V as n]
[no cont]
What began as a local festival has blossomed into an international event.
原先的地方节日已经发展成为一项国际性活动。
6
[VERB 动词]（界限或边缘）起始于 If you say that a thing or place begins somewhere, you are talking about one of its limits or edges.
[V prep/adv]
[no cont]
The fate line begins close to the wrist...
命运线始于接近手腕的地方。
Rue Guynemer begins at the front of the Fitzgerald site.
吉内梅街始于菲茨拉德故居前。
7
[VERB 动词]以…开头；首字母为 If a word begins with a particular letter, that is the first letter of that word.
[V with n]
[no cont]
The first word begins with an F.
第一个词的首字母为F。
8
[VERB 动词]无法，难以（解释、理解、想象等） 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.
[V to-inf]
[no cont]
[emphasis]
You can't begin to imagine how much that saddens me.
你都无从想象这让我有多悲伤。
9
[PHRASE 短语]最初；刚开始 You use to begin with when you are talking about the first stage of a situation, event, or process.
[PHR with cl]
It was great to begin with but now it's difficult.
一开始非常好，但现在可就难了。
10
[PHRASE 短语]首先；第一 You use to begin with to introduce the first of several things that you want to say.
[PHR with cl]
'What do scientists you've spoken with think about that?' — 'Well, to begin with, they doubt it's going to work.'
“跟你聊过的科学家是怎么看的？”——“嗯，首先，他们怀疑这能否行得通。”
11
charity begins at home→see:
charity
； begin life→see:
life
；
Usage Note :
Begin, start, and commence all have a similar meaning, although commence is more formal and is not normally used in conversation. The meeting is ready to begin... He tore the list up and started a fresh one. ...an alternative to commencing the process of European integration. Note that begin, start, and commence can all be followed by an -ing form or a noun, but only begin and start can be followed by a 'to' infinitive.
begin, start 和 commence 意思相近，但 commence 更为正式，通常不用在日常对话中：The meeting is ready to begin（会议可以开始了），He tore the list up and started a fresh one（他把清单撕碎，开始另列一张），an alternative to commencing the process of European integration（启动欧洲一体化进程的另一种方式）。注意，begin, start 和commence 后都可以接 -ing 形式或名词，但只有 begin 和 start 可以接带 to 的动词不定式。
Oxford
begin★/bɪˈɡɪn; NAmEbɪˈɡɪn/verb(be·gin·ning,began/bɪˈɡæn; NAmEbɪˈɡæn/,begun/bɪˈɡʌn; NAmEbɪˈɡʌn/)1★[intransitive , transitive ]to start doing sth; to do the first part of sth 开始；启动◆Shall I begin?我可以开始了吗？beginat/with sth ◆Let's begin at page 9.咱们从第 9 页开始。beginby doing sth ◆She began by thanking us all for coming.她首先对我们大家的到来表示感谢。beginsth ◆We began work on the project in May.我们于五月份启动这个项目。◆I began (= started reading)this novel last month and I still haven't finished it. 我上月就开始读这本小说，到现在还没读完。beginsth at/with sth ◆He always begins his lessons with a warm-up exercise.他讲课前总是先让学生做预备练习题。beginsth as sth ◆He began his political career as a student (= when he was a student).他从当学生时起就开始了他的政治生涯。beginto do sth ◆I began to feel dizzy.我开始感到头晕目眩。◆At last the guests began to arrive.客人们终于陆续到达了。◆She began to cry.她哭起来了。◆It was beginning to snow.开始下雪了。◆I was beginning to think you'd never come.我开始以为你是不会来了。begindoing sth ◆Everyone began talking at once.大家同时开始讲话。◆When will you begin recruiting?你们何时开始招募人员？☞synonyms at
start
☞language bank at
first
2★[intransitive ]to start to happen or exist, especially from a particular time 起始；开始存在（或进行）◆When does the concert begin?音乐会什么时间开始？◆Work on the new bridge is due to begin in September.新桥定于九月份动工。◆The evening began well.晚会开始得很顺利。3★[intransitive ]beginas sth to be sth first, before becoming sth else 起初是；本来是◆He began as an actor, before starting to direct films.他先是当演员，后来开始执导影片。◆What began as a minor scuffle turned into a full-scale riot.最初的小冲突演变成了大规模的暴乱。4★[intransitive ]to have sth as the first part or the point where sth starts （从…）开始；（以…）为起点◆Where does Europe end and Asia begin?欧洲和亚洲的交界处在哪里？beginwith sth ◆Use ‘an’ before words beginning with a vowel.在以元音开始的词之前使用 an。◆‘I'm thinking of a country in Asia.’ ‘What does it begin with (= what is the first letter)?’ “我在想一个亚洲国家。”“它的首字母是什么？”◆Each chapter begins with a quotation.每一章的开头都有一条引语。beginat… ◆The path begins at Livingston village.这条小路始于利文斯顿村。5★[transitive ]+ speechto start speaking 开始讲话◆‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ he began, ‘welcome to the Town Hall.’他开始讲话：“女士们、先生们，欢迎光临市政厅。”6★[intransitive , transitive ]to start or make sth start for the first time 创始；创办◆The school began in 1920, with only ten pupils.这所学校创建于 1920 年，当时只有十名学生。beginsth ◆He began a new magazine on post-war architecture.他创办了一份专论战后建筑的新杂志。7[transitive ]not ~ to do sthto make no attempt to do sth or have no chance of doing sth 不想；绝不能◆I can't begin tothank you enough. 我说不尽对你的感激。◆He didn't even begin to understand my problem.他完全没有弄明白我的问题。IDIOMto beˈgin with1★at first 起初；开始◆I found it tiring to begin with but I soon got used to it.我起初觉得很累，但不久便适应了。◆We'll go slowly to begin with.我们开始时会慢慢来的。2★used to introduce the first point you want to make 首先；第一点◆‘What was it you didn't like?’ ‘Well, to begin with, our room was far too small.’“你不喜欢的是什么呢？”“唔，首先是，我们的屋子太小了。”☞more at
charity
WHICH WORD? 词语辨析begin / start■There is not much difference in meaning between beginand start,though startis more common in spoken English. *begin 和 start 的含义差别不大，不过 start 较常用于英语口语： ◆What time does the concert start/begin?音乐会什么时候开场？◆She started/began working here three months ago.她三个月前开始在这儿工作。Beginis often used when you are describing a series of events. *begin 常用以指一系列事情的开始： ◆The story begins on the island of Corfu.故事从科孚岛上开始。Start,but not begin,can also mean ‘to start a journey’, ‘to start something happening’ or ‘to start a machine working’. *start 亦含出发、使发生、使（机器）运转之意，begin 不含此义： ◆We’ll need to start at 7.00.我们需要在 7 点钟出发。◆Who do you think started the fire?你看是谁点的火？◆The car won’t start.汽车发动不起来。■You can use either an infinitive or a form with -ingafter beginand start,with no difference in meaning. *begin 和 start 之后接动词不定式或 -ing 形式均可，在意义上无差别： ◆I didn’t start worrying/to worry until she was 2 hours late.她晚了两小时后我才开始担忧起来。■After the forms beginningand starting,the -ingform of the verb is not normally used. *beginning 和 starting 之后一般不用动词的 -ing 形式： ◆It’s starting/beginning to rain.开始下雨了。◆It’s starting/beginning raining.beginbeginsbeganbeginningbegunbegin/bɪˈɡɪn; NAmEbɪˈɡɪn/began/bɪˈɡæn; NAmEbɪˈɡæn/begun/bɪˈɡʌn; NAmEbɪˈɡʌn/
LDC
beginbe‧gin /bɪˈɡɪn/ ●●●S1W1 verb (past tense began /-ˈɡæn/, past participle begun /-ˈɡʌn/, present participle beginning)
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1start doing something [intransitive, transitive] to start doing something: As everybody’s here, let’s begin. In the third year, students begin the study of classical Chinese. The president begins talks with the prime minister tonight.begin to do something She began to feel a sense of panic.begin doing something I began teaching in 1984.► see thesaurus at
start
2start happening [intransitive, transitive] if something begins, or you begin something, it starts to happen or exist from a particular time: It was the coldest winter since records began.begin at The meeting begins at 10.30 am.3do first [intransitive] if you begin with something or begin by doing something, this is the first thing you dobegin with Shall we begin with a prayer?begin by doing something I’ll begin by thanking you all for being here tonight.4book/word etc [intransitive] if a book, film, or word begins with something, it starts with a particular event or letterbegin with ‘Psychosis’ begins with a P.RegisterIn everyday English, people usually say start rather than begin:· The movie starts at 7.45.· Let’s start by introducing ourselves.· Not many English names start with X.5speech [intransitive, transitive] to start speaking: ‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ he began. ‘I am delighted to be here.’6to begin witha)spoken used to introduce the first and most important point you want to make: Well, to begin with, he shouldn’t even have been driving my car.b)used to say that something was already in a particular condition before something else happened: I didn’t break it! It was like that to begin with.c)during the first part of a process or activity: The kids helped me to begin with, but they soon got bored.7can’t begin to understand/imagine etc spoken used to emphasize how difficult something is to understand etc: I can’t begin to imagine how awful it was.GRAMMARBegin belongs to a group of verbs where the same noun can be the subject of the verb or its object.• You can say: · They began the meeting at 9. In this sentence, ‘the meeting’ is the object of begin.• You can also say: · The meeting began at 9. In this sentence, ‘the meeting’ is the subject of begin.Grammar guide ‒ VERBSbegin as phrasal verbto be a particular thing at the start of your existence, working life etc: Roger began his career as an office boy.