Irregular verb
The verb to begin
begin → began → begun
A2Meaning: to start doing something; to start happening · Type: irregular · Frequency: Top 50 English verbs
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they begin·he/she/it begins - Past Simple:
began - Past participle:
begun - -ing form:
beginning(with double n)
Conjugation of the verb to begin
Present Simple
| I | begin |
| You | begin |
| He / She / It | begins |
| We | begin |
| You (pl.) | begin |
| They | begin |
Past Simple
| I | began |
| You | began |
| He / She / It | began |
| We | began |
| You (pl.) | began |
| They | began |
All the forms of the verb to begin
Present Simple
Full pagebegin / begins
“Class begins at 8.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are beginning
“I am beginning the lesson right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pagebegan
“The film began at 8 pm.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were beginning
“I was beginning the lesson when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has begun
“I have already begun the lesson.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad begun
“She had already begun the lesson when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill begin
“I will begin the lesson tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to begin
“I'm going to begin the lesson this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould begin
“I would begin the lesson if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to begin
1. Starting an action or an event
- The film begins at 8.
- I began learning English at 7.
2. Begin + to + verb or + -ing
Both patterns are correct, and they mean the same: began to rain = began raining.
- It began to rain.
- It began raining.
Common mistakes to avoid
1. It has began ❌
There are three different forms: begin → began → begun. After has, use begun: It has begun ✓, It has began ✗.
2. Begining ❌
When a verb ends in one vowel + one consonant, with the stress at the end, the consonant doubles before -ing: begin → beginning.
Going further
Conjugating to begin is a key skill in the English contest
Every year, the Big Challenge tests the key English verbs. Register your students so they can check their level in a real contest.
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Practise on PLAYYou can conjugate to begin. Now say it out loud.
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Related pages: begin
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of begin?+
The Past Simple of begin is began. The past participle is begun, a different form. Begin → began → begun.
What is the difference between begin and start?+
They mean almost the same thing. Start is more common in speech and has more uses: you can start the car, but not begin the car. Begin is a little more formal. Both can take to + verb or -ing.
Is it began or begun?+
Began is the Past Simple, used alone: The film began at 8. Begun is the past participle, used after have / has: The film has begun. Many learners mix them up.
Is it begin to do or begin doing?+
Both are correct and mean the same: It began to rain. = It began raining. With verbs like like, understand or know, use to: I began to understand the problem, not I began understanding.
Why is beginning spelt with double n?+
Begin ends in one vowel + one consonant, and the stress (the strong part of the word) is at the end: begin. So the n doubles before -ing: beginning. It is the same with run → running and sit → sitting.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/begin
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.