Began: meaning, definitions and examples
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began
[ bɪˈɡæn ]
past tense
Began is the simple past tense of the verb 'begin'. It indicates that an action started at a specific time in the past and is no longer in progress. This verb is commonly used to describe the initiation of various activities or events.
Synonyms
commenced, initiated, launched, started
Examples of usage
- She began her career as a teacher.
- The meeting began at 10 AM.
- He began to understand the topic better after the lecture.
- They began construction on the new building last year.
Translations
Translations of the word "began" in other languages:
🇵🇹 começou
🇮🇳 शुरू किया
🇩🇪 begann
🇮🇩 mulai
🇺🇦 почав
🇵🇱 zaczął
🇯🇵 始まった
🇫🇷 a commencé
🇪🇸 comenzó
🇹🇷 başladı
🇰🇷 시작했다
🇸🇦 بدأ
🇨🇿 začal
🇸🇰 začal
🇨🇳 开始了
🇸🇮 začel
🇮🇸 byrjaði
🇰🇿 бастады
🇬🇪 დაწყო
🇦🇿 başladı
🇲🇽 comenzó
Word origin
The word 'began' traces its roots back to the Old English 'beginnan', which means 'to begin, to commence'. This term is further derived from Proto-Germanic *gāno-, which relates to the concept of starting or opening. Over time, 'beginnan' evolved in various Germanic languages, leading to similar words in Dutch ('beginnen') and German ('beginnen'). The transformation into 'began' represents a natural linguistic evolution as English transitioned from Old to Middle and Modern English. The usage of 'began' is prevalent in English literature and conversation, as it plays a critical role in grammatical structures that require the past tense. Its frequency in spoken and written English reflects its importance in conveying the timing of actions.