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The German verb beginnen means “to begin”, “to start”, or “to begin”. It’s a fairly easy verb for English speakers because it includes the word “begin”. The conjugations are also very similar to the English forms begin, began, and began.
The verb beginnen is a strong (irregular) verb in German. Since they don’t follow a strict rule, you’ll have to memorize each form. While this is easier because it’s similar to English conjugation, the different conjugations can be confusing.
Main parts: beginnen – begann – begonnen
Imperative (command) sentence: (du) Beginne! | Your (The) Beginning! | Let’s get started!
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Beginnen vs. Anfangen
It’s important to note that anfangen, which means “to begin,” also means “to begin.” Both verbs are often used interchangeably, although some people prefer to use one or the other in certain contexts. If you’re hoping that anfangen is easier to conjugate than beginnen, think again. This verb has a separable prefix, which poses its own challenges.
Beginnen in the Present Tense (Präsens)
1: Who was the first woman President of India?
The present tense (präsens) is the easiest way to start learning verb conjugation. You will use these begin forms most often, so take the time to study them and add them to your vocabulary.
Practicing each verb form in sentences will help you learn better. Here’s a little trick that can help you remember and can be as simple as short sentences like this.
- Der Film beginnt am Mittwoch. – The film begins on Wednesday.
- Wann beginnen wir? – When do we start?
| Deutsch | English |
| ich beginne | I begin I am beginning |
| du beginnst | you begin you are beginning |
| er beginnt
sie beginnt es beginnt |
he begins he is beginning she begins she is beginning it begins it is beginning |
| wir beginnen | we begin we are beginning |
| ihr beginnt | you (guys) begin you are beginning |
| sie beginnen | they begin they are beginning |
| Sie beginnen | you begin you are beginning |
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Start Learning!Beginnen in the Simple Past Tense (Imperfekt)
Once you’ve mastered the present tense, move on to the past simple (imperfekt). This is the most common way to say “to begin” in German, so you should practice saying it as you progress in your German.
| Deutsch | English |
| ich begann | I began |
| du begannst | you began |
| er begann sie begann es begann |
he began she began it began |
| wir begannen | we began |
| ihr begannt | you (guys) began |
| sie begannen | they began |
| Sie begannen | you began |
Beginnen in the Compound Past Tense (Perfekt)
Another way to say “started” is to use the past perfect, also known as the present perfect. You would use it when something “began” in the past but you don’t say when it happened. There are also times when it can be used to say that something started and that the action is still continuing.
| Deutsch | English |
| ich habe begonnen | I have begun I began |
| du hast begonnen | you have begun you began |
| er hat begonnen
sie hat begonnen es hat begonnen |
he has begun he began she has began she began it has began it began |
| wir haben begonnen | we have begun we began |
| ihr habt begonnen | you (guys) have begun you began |
| sie haben begonnen | they have begun they began |
| Sie haben begonnen | you have begun you began |
Beginnen in the Past Perfect Tense (Plusquamperfekt)
A less commonly used form, the pluperfect (plusquamperfekt) also has its uses. This is reserved for times when an action began before another action in the past. For example: “I started the song before everyone started dancing.”
| Deutsch | English |
| ich hatte begonnen | I had begun |
| du hattest begonnen | you had begun |
| er hatte begonnen sie hatte begonnen es hatte begonnen |
he had begun she had begun it had begun |
| wir hatten begonnen | we had begun |
| ihr hattet begonnen | you (guys) had begun |
| sie hatten begonnen | they had begun |
| Sie hatten begonnen | you had begun |
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Start Learning!Beginnen in the Future Tenses
The future tense is rarely used in German. It is more common to use the present tense with an adverb than the future I and future II tenses. For example, it will start tomorrow. can be used to say “He will start tomorrow.”
However, it is good to know these initial forms because you will probably come across them at some point.
Future Tense (Futur 1)
| Deutsch | English |
| ich werde beginnen | I will begin |
| du wirst beginnen Sie werden beginnen |
you (fam.) will begin you will begin |
| er wird beginnen sie wird beginnen wir werden beginnen ihr werdet beginnen sie werden beginnen |
he will begin she will begin we will begin you (guys) will begin they will begin |
Future Perfect Tense (Futur II)
| ich werde begonnen haben du wirst begonnen haben er wird begonnen haben wir werden begonnen haben |
I will have begun you (fam.) will have begun he will have begun we will have begun |
| ihr werdet begonnen haben | you (guys) will have begun |
| sie werden begonnen haben | they will have begun |
| Sie hatten begonnen | you will have begun |
Imperative Beginnen Conjugation
In German, the imperative mood is used to give orders, requests, or advice. Conjugating a verb in the imperative form allows you to directly ask someone to take action. When it comes to the verb beginnen, which means “to begin” or “to begin,” understanding how to form its imperative form is important for communicating effectively in a variety of situations.
This section explores the imperative conjugation of beginnen, providing insight into its structure and practical use.
Imperative Form of Beginnen
The imperative form of beginnen is formed using the verb stem. In German, this usually involves taking the infinitive form of the verb and dropping the “-en” ending. However, since beginnen is an irregular verb, its conjugation does not follow a strict general rule, making it necessary to memorize its form.
The imperative form changes depending on who you are talking to:
you is singular (du), you is plural (ihr) or you is formal (Sie).
| 2nd person singular (du) | Beginn(e)! |
| 2nd person plural (ihr) | Beginnt! |
| Formal (Sie) | Beginnen Sie! |
Note: The “e” in the form “du” “Beginne!” » can be dropped in spoken German, making it “Beginn!” » as well.
In imperative structures, German often allows the subject pronoun to be omitted, focusing instead on the verb.
Real-life examples of conjugations of the verb Beginnen Imperative.
Using the imperative form of begin correctly can be extremely effective in many real-life situations. Whether you are encouraging someone to start a project, instructing students in a class, or starting a meeting, these real-life examples highlight the versatility of the imperative mood in everyday communication.
Whether urging a friend to begin an activity or formally initiating a procedure, the imperative form creates a sense of urgency and importance in a conversation.
- To a friend: “Beginn jetzt mit deinem Training!” – “Start your training now!”
- In a classroom: “Beginnt bitte mit der Aufgabe.” – “Please start with the task.”
- At the start of a meeting: “Lassen Sie uns beginnen.” – “Let us begin.”
To master the imperative form of a verb like beginnen, you need to understand the nuances of German usage, including when and how to use the informal “du” versus the formal “Sie” or the plural “ihr.” In everyday settings, choosing the appropriate form shows respect and sets the tone of the interaction, influencing how the command is received and carried out.
While informal situations may allow for more relaxed usage, such as dropping the “e” in “Beginne!”, formal situations require the use of the full form to maintain politeness. The flexibility and directness of the imperative make it a powerful tool for directing action or giving effective advice.
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Conjugation of Beginnen – Key Points:
- Beginnen conjugation German: “Beginnen” is an irregular verb in German, meaning “to begin”, which changes form to indicate different tenses, moods and persons (e.g. ich begin , to begin).
- Beginnen conjugation imperative:: Built from the verb stem for different addresses, e.g. Begin or Begin! (informal singular), Begin! (informal plural), Let’s begin! (formal).
- Beginnen conjugation imperfect: Expresses ongoing or habitual actions in the past (e.g. I started, you started).
- Beginnen conjugation partizip 2: The past participle ‘begonnen’ is used with ‘haben’ to form the perfect tense, indicating a completed action (e.g. ‘ich habe bei bein’).
- Beginnen conjugation praeteritum and beginnen conjugation perfekt: Conjugating the verb into “J’ai commenced” in the past simple and “J’ai commenced” in the perfect, used in reported speech and speech to express a completed action in the past.
