began

began — verb

1. the past simple form of the verb 'begin' — used to say that an action, event, or

1.動詞及物 / 不及物A1
釋義

the past simple form of the verb 'begin' — used to say that an action, event, or process started at a particular moment in the past.

例句

Asher began his new job at the hospital last Monday.

began + noun phrase (direct object)

The school concert began with a short piano piece by a local musician.

intransitive: began + with + noun

同義詞
  • started

    more common in everyday speech than 'began' for many contexts; 'began' can sound slightly more formal or literary

  • commenced

    much more formal than 'began'; used mainly in official announcements, legal documents, or ceremonial contexts

反義詞
  • ended

    direct opposite — an action that begins at one point ends at another

  • finished

    similar to 'ended' but emphasises completion rather than the final point in time

文法句型

began + noun phrase

began + to-infinitive

began + gerund

began alone (intransitive)

用法筆記

This is the only past simple form of 'begin'. For present tense, use 'begin' (I begin / she begins); for the past participle, use 'begun' (has begun / had begun).

常見錯誤

❌Yesterday I have began my new course.
✅Yesterday I began my new course.
💡'began' is the past simple form and does not need an auxiliary verb.
❌The movie has began.
✅The movie has begun.
💡For perfect tenses (have/has/had), use the past participle 'begun', not the past simple 'began'.

2. used in negative sentences with 'can't' or 'couldn't' to say that someone is com

2.動詞不及物B2
釋義

used in negative sentences with 'can't' or 'couldn't' to say that someone is completely unable to do something, not even the smallest part of it — for example, being unable to describe, understand, or count something because it is too complex, overwhelming, or extreme.

例句

Layla could not even begin to count the stars in the night sky.

could not even begin to + infinitive — base form after modal

Christopher could not even begin to imagine what his grandfather lived through during the war.

同義詞
  • could not possibly

    similar meaning but less emphatic; 'cannot possibly' states inability, while 'cannot even begin to' adds dramatic emphasis

文法句型

could not even begin to + infinitive

cannot even begin to + infinitive

用法筆記

The fixed phrase is 'could not even begin to + base verb' (or 'can't even begin to'). The base form 'begin' always follows the modal — never 'began'. Even when the reference is to a past situation, use 'couldn't even begin to' (not 'couldn't even began to'). This is because English modals (can, could, must, should, etc.) are always followed by the base form of the verb.

常見錯誤

❌I can't even began to understand the problem.
✅I can't even begin to understand the problem.
💡After the modal verb 'can't', use the base form 'begin', not the past tense 'began'. Modals are always followed by the base form.