What's the past tense of "begin"?
The simple past tense of begin is began, and the past participle is begun. Use began for simple past and begun with auxiliary verbs.
Definition of begin
The Oxford English Dictionary defines begin as "to start doing something; to do the first part of something." It's one of the most common irregular verbs in English.
- The past tense of begin is began.
- The past participle of begin is begun.
Verb forms of 'begin'
Is "begin" a regular or irregular verb?
The verb begin is irregular. Its past tense is began and past participle is begun, not "begined." This is a common pattern among English irregular verbs.
When to use "began" vs. "begun"
The course began last week.
The course has already begun, so we should catch up on the readings.
The verb begin uses different forms for simple past and present or past perfect), it requires an auxiliary verb like have, has, or had. The simple past doesn't use a helper verb since it's a complete tense, so began can stand alone in sentences, whereas participles require an auxiliary verb.
Similar irregular verbs
Other verbs that follow similar irregular patterns include verbs with different past tense and past participle forms.
Sentence examples: begin, began, begun
• I don't know where to begin.
• He begins each morning with a glass of orange juice.
• The movie is beginning right now!
• The concert began with a fanfare from the brass section.
• I began my career as a journalist at my local newspaper.
• The company began to expand its operations in the late 90s.
• She's begun studying Spanish to communicate with her coworkers better.
• The new CEO has begun implementing changes to our marketing strategy.
• We had just begun the film when you'd arrived.
Synonyms & nearby words
Synonyms for begin
Nearby phrases
Origin of the verb begin
Old English beginnan "to attempt, undertake," a rare word beside the more usual form onginnan from be- + West Germanic *ginnan, which is of obscure etymology and found only in compounds, perhaps "to open, open up" with sense evolution from "open" to "begin."
Practice: "Begin" conjugations
The concert ______ with a powerful drum solo that excited the crowd.
By the time we arrived, the ceremony had already ______.
I am just ______ to understand the complexity of the problem.
Please ______ whenever you are ready.
The final chapter of the book ______ with a surprising twist.
FAQs
What is the simple past of "begin"?
When should I use "began"?
When do I use "begun"?
Can "began" be used with "have" or "had"?
Can "begun" be used as the simple past?
Sources
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Simpson, J. A., and E. S. C. Weiner. "Begin, v." Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Date of access 15 Jan. 2025.
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Huddleston, Rodney, and Geoffrey K. Pullum. "The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language." Cambridge University Press, 2002. Date of access 15 Jan. 2025.
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