始める · ichidan verb
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 始める | 始めない |
| Polite | 始めます | 始めません |
| Past polite | 始めました | 始めませんでした |
| Past | 始めた | 始めなかった |
| Te-form | 始めて | 始めないで |
| Desire | 始めたい | 始めたくない |
| Potential | 始められるalso 始めれる | 始められないalso 始めれない |
| Passive | 始められる | 始められない |
| Causative | 始めさせる | 始めさせない |
| Causative passive | 始めさせられる | 始めさせられない |
| Volitional | 始めよう | |
| Polite volitional | 始めましょう | |
| Imperative | 始めろ | 始めるな |
| Conditional | 始めれば | 始めなければ |
| Tara conditional | 始めたら | 始めなかったら |
ichidan verb, transitive verb
Only when written 始める
General transitive verb for starting an activity, event, or process. Often used with nouns like 仕事, 会議, 勉強, etc.
I will start a new job next month.
Let's begin the meeting.
ichidan verb, transitive verb
Used for founding or launching an organization, business, store, or society. 創める is a rare alternative kanji for this sense.
He opened a small café in front of the station.
You need funds to start a new company.
auxiliary verb, ichidan verb
start to ...; begin to ...
Only when written 始める
Auxiliary verb attached to the -masu stem of another verb, indicating the beginning of that action. Very common and productive.
It started to rain.
It's been a year since I started studying Japanese.
Let's go ahead and start the meeting.
I'm planning to open a café in front of the station.
It started to rain.
I'll start my new job from next week.
始める is the plain, general verb for beginning any activity, while 立ち上げる specifically evokes setting up something new like a business, project, or system.
始める is the ordinary, everyday auxiliary for 'begin to do', while 初める is a literary, old-fashioned equivalent found mainly in poetic or classical-style writing.
始める means to start or begin an action, the opposite of 仕舞う's sense of finishing or ending it.
first appearance of the season
first soft-rice meal of the New Year · first sexual intercourse of the New Year · loss of virginity
seeing for the first time; first sight
begin doing; start doing
resuming work after the New Year's vacation; first work of the year
begin to appear; start to come out
imperial archery ceremony (Heian/Kamakura) · first bow shooting of the year (military families)
first business day of the new year; reopening of offices after New Year's holiday
at first; to begin with; as a first step
starting to walk