Today’s Grammar Point: ～はじめる

始はじめる is a transitive verb that means “to start/begin something” but it can be used after a verb stem to mean “to start to do ～.” It is similar to ～出だす but while ～出だす is used for a sudden start of an action (of somebody/something else) that doesn’t have much to do with the speaker’s intention, ～始はじめる is used for a start of an ongoing or intentional action. 始はじめる’s intransitive counterpart, 始はじまる, does not have this usage (i.e. it cannot follow a verb stem).

Connection

• [verb stem] + 始はじめる

Examples of ～始はじめる：

去年きょねんフランス語ごを勉強べんきょうし始はじめた。
I started to study French last year.

小説しょうせつを書かき始はじめました。
I started to write a novel.

If you use 出だした in above examples instead of 始はじめた, it sounds like you have already quit studying French or writing a novel.

ようやく飛行機ひこうきが飛とび始はじめた。
Aeroplanes have finally started to fly.

If you say ようやく飛行機ひこうきが飛とび出だした, that sounds like you are anticipating flights will stop again soon.

今朝けさこの本ほんを読よみ始はじめて、さっき読よみ終おえました。
I started to read this book this morning, and I have just finish reading it.

As you continued to read the book till the end, you cannot swap 始はじめた with 出だした.

ランチを食たべ始はじめた時とき、電話でんわが鳴なった。
When I started to eat lunch, the phone rang.

久ひさしぶりに車くるまを運転うんてんし始はじめると、幸しあわせな気持きもちに包つつまれた。
When I started driving the car for the first time in a long time, I felt happy.

As “eating” and “driving” are planned action, not the result of a sudden urge, 始はじめる sounds more appropriate than 出だす.

Please visit my JLPT N3 Grammar page for more JLPT N3 grammar item.

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