Grammar Info
N4 Lesson 2: 6/17

始(はじ)める
To start, To begin to

Structure
Casual
Polite
Verb[ます+ はじめる
Verb[ます+ はじめます
Details
Register Standard
使用域 一般
Information
To express that actions are beginning or ending in Japanese, the verbs 始(はじ)める (to commence), or 終(お)わる (to end) will need to be used. In this lesson, we will focus on actions that are ‘beginning’.
To say that (A) is starting/beginning, we will need to attach はじめる to the ます stem of almost any verb. Whether you use the hiragana form, or the kanji form does not matter, as there will be no change in nuance.
  • 来月(らいげつ)からお金(かね)ため始(はじ)めます
    I will start saving money from next month.
  • 歌(うた)歌(うた)い始(はじ)める
    To start singing a song.
Due to はじめる being a verb itself, the tense can be changed, to show that something will start, is starting, or has started.
  • 明日(あした)から日本語(にほんご)習(なら)い始(はじ)める
    I will start learning Japanese from tomorrow. (Will start)
  • 雨(あめ)降(ふ)り始(はじ)めてきた
    It is starting to rain. (Is starting)
  • 高校生(こうこうせい)時(とき)お金(かね)貯(た)め始(はじ)めた
    I started saving up money when I was in high school. (Has started)
Caution
It can be easy to accidentally use 始(はじ)まる, the intransitive form of this verb. However, with this expression, the transitive form will always be used, due to the verb that はじめる is attached to being the thing that ‘is started’, by ‘something’ else.
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今朝(けさ)雪(ゆき)降(ふ)始(はじ)め
It started to snow this morning.
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明日(あした)から日本語(にほんご)習(なら)始(はじ)めます
I will start learning Japanese from tomorrow.
Play  
大学(だいがく)卒業(そつぎょう)してから仕事(しごと)行(い)始(はじ)め
I started going to work after graduation from college.
Play  
Books
Tobira
Page 18
[DBJG] A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar
Page 131
[AIAIJ] An Integrated Approach to Intermediate Japanese
Page 133