Grammar JLPT Level N4 - Lesson 5

Structure of 始(はじ)める:

Verb［ます］+ はじめる

Details about 始(はじ)める:

To express that actions are beginning or ending in Japanese, the verbs 始(はじ)める (to commence), or 終(お)わる (to end) will need to be used. In this lesson, we will focus on actions that are 'beginning'.
To say that (A) is starting/beginning, we will need to attach はじめる to the ます stem of almost any verb. Whether you use the hiragana form, or the kanji form does not matter, as there will be no change in nuance.

来月(らいげつ)からお金(かね)をため始(はじ)めます。
I will start saving money from next month.
歌(うた)を歌(うた)い始(はじ)める。
To start singing a song.

Due to はじめる being a verb itself, the tense can be changed, to show that something will start, is starting, or has started.

明日(あした)から日本語(にほんご)を習(なら)い始(はじ)める。
I will start learning Japanese from tomorrow. (Will start)
雨(あめ)が降(ふ)り始(はじ)めてきた。
It is starting to rain. (Is starting)
高校生(こうこうせい)の時(とき)にお金(かね)を貯(た)め始(はじ)めた。
I started saving up money when I was in high school. (Has started)

始(はじ)める

Usage Notes for 始(はじ)める:

It can be easy to accidentally use 始(はじ)まる, the intransitive form of this verb. However, with this expression, the transitive form will always be used, due to the verb that はじめる is attached to being the thing that 'is started', by 'something' else.