beginnen

to begin

German Irregular

The German verb "beginnen" means "to begin" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "beginnen" across all 7 tenses.

How to Conjugate "beginnen" in the Present Tense

Präsens Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
ich I beginne
du you (informal) beginnst
er/sie/es he/she/it beginnt
wir we beginnen
ihr you all (informal) beginnt
sie/Sie they/you (formal) beginnen
Er beginnt die Arbeit um acht.
He starts work at eight.

How to Conjugate "beginnen" in the Simple Past Tense

Präteritum Completed actions in the past (written/formal)
Person English Conjugation
ich I begann
du you (informal) begannst
er/sie/es he/she/it begann
wir we begannen
ihr you all (informal) begannt
sie/Sie they/you (formal) begannen
Er begann eine neue Arbeit heute.
He began a new job today.

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How to Conjugate "beginnen" in the Present Perfect Tense

Perfekt Completed actions (spoken German)
Person English Conjugation
ich I habe begonnen
du you (informal) hast begonnen
er/sie/es he/she/it hat begonnen
wir we haben begonnen
ihr you all (informal) habt begonnen
sie/Sie they/you (formal) haben begonnen
Er hat das Buch begonnen.
He began the book.

How to Conjugate "beginnen" in the Past Perfect Tense

Plusquamperfekt Actions completed before another past action
Person English Conjugation
ich I hatte begonnen
du you (informal) hattest begonnen
er/sie/es he/she/it hatte begonnen
wir we hatten begonnen
ihr you all (informal) hattet begonnen
sie/Sie they/you (formal) hatten begonnen
Es hatte zu regnen begonnen.
It had begun to rain.

How to Conjugate "beginnen" in the Future Tense

Futur I Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
ich I werde beginnen
du you (informal) wirst beginnen
er/sie/es he/she/it wird beginnen
wir we werden beginnen
ihr you all (informal) werdet beginnen
sie/Sie they/you (formal) werden beginnen
Er wird die Arbeit beginnen.
He will begin the work.

How to Conjugate "beginnen" in the Subjunctive I Tense

Konjunktiv I Indirect speech and formal requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I beginne
du you (informal) beginnest
er/sie/es he/she/it beginne
wir we beginnen
ihr you all (informal) beginnet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) beginnen
Er sagt, er beginne das Spiel.
He says he begins the game.

How to Conjugate "beginnen" in the Subjunctive II Tense

Konjunktiv II Hypothetical situations and polite requests
Person English Conjugation
ich I begänne
du you (informal) begännest
er/sie/es he/she/it begänne
wir we begännen
ihr you all (informal) begännet
sie/Sie they/you (formal) begännen
Er begänne morgen gern.
He would like to begin tomorrow.

Frequently Asked Questions About "beginnen"

Is "beginnen" regular or irregular in German?
"Beginnen" is an irregular German verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "beginnen" mean in English?
The German verb "beginnen" means "to begin" in English.
How do you conjugate "beginnen" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Präsens): ich → beginne, du → beginnst, er/sie/es → beginnt, wir → beginnen, ihr → beginnt, sie/Sie → beginnen.
How many tenses does "beginnen" have in German?
"Beginnen" is conjugated across 7 tenses in German: Present, Simple Past, Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future, Subjunctive I, Subjunctive II.

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