The word "begin" means to start an action or process. It can be used transitively or intransitively, and it can be followed by an infinitive or a gerund. It also has idiomatic uses like "to begin with" meaning "initially" or "firstly."
The word "begin" means to start an action or process. It can be used transitively or intransitively, and it can be followed by an infinitive or a gerund. It also has idiomatic uses like "to begin with" meaning "initially" or "firstly."
[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.