はじめる (To start)

To start, To begin to

JLPT N4
Pattern

Verb (ます-stem) + はじめる

How it works

ます-stem + はじめる means “start doing”. It focuses on the start of an action that then continues: 読みはじめる (start reading), 雨がふりはじめた (it began to rain).

Examples

  • きょねんから 日本語を 習いはじめました。I started learning Japanese last year.
  • 雨が ふりはじめました。It started to rain.

Related grammar

Further reading

Bunpro N4 · Lesson 2

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