anfängt

Anfängt is the third-person singular present tense form of the German verb anfangen, meaning to begin or to start. It is a separable-prefix verb; in many present-tense constructions the prefix is separated from the main verb and placed at the end of the clause, as in Er fängt heute mit dem Projekt an.

The infinitive is anfangen. Present tense forms include ich fange an, du fängst an, er fängt an. The simple past is fing an, and the perfect: hat angefangen. The past participle is angefangen, and the imperative form is Fang an! In sentences with a direct object or with a mit-phrase, the prefix may appear with the object, e.g., Er fängt die Arbeit an or Er fängt mit der Arbeit an. In dependent clauses, the prefix remains separated, as in ..., die Arbeit fängt er heute an.

Usage and nuances: Anfangen is used to indicate the initiation of an activity, event, or process. It can take various complements, including direct objects (eine Aufgabe anfangen) or prepositional phrases (mit dem Projekt anfangen). Common everyday examples include Der Film fängt um acht an (The movie starts at eight) and Sie fängt heute mit dem neuen Projekt an (She starts the new project today). The word can be contrasted with beginnen, which is often more formal and may emphasize the start of a longer or more formal undertaking.

Etymology and relation: Anfangen comes from an- plus fangen (to catch), conveying the idea of beginning an action. In German, prefix separability generally affects word order in main clauses. Related verbs include beginnen and starten, which are used in somewhat different registers or with slightly different nuances.