past form
Started happening or started doing something in the past.
She began to sing a beautiful song.
The concert began at 8 p.m.
American English
How to pronounce began
verbA2Very common word
beeGAAN
/biˈgæn/
2 syllables · Stress the second syllable.
Form of begin
Started happening or started doing something in the past.
What to listen for
“Began” is usually pronounced /bɪˈgæn/. The first syllable uses the short /ɪ/ sound, as in “bit.”
Meanings & examples
past form
Started an activity, event, or process in the past.
We began our journey early in the morning.
The movie began with a dramatic scene.
Useful expressions
to start with a particular person or thing
Let's begin with the easiest question.
to start by doing a particular action
Begin by checking the address.
to start one more time
The show had to begin again after the power cut.
Related words & forms
Use began for a finished past event. After have, has, or had, use begun.