begann

Begann is the simple past tense (Präteritum) form of the German verb beginnen, meaning to begin or to start. It is used primarily in written German to narrate events in the past. The corresponding perfect tense is begonnen, as in der Film hat begonnen.

Conjugation and usage

In the Präteritum, beginnens forms for singular subjects are: ich begann, du begannst, er begann. For plural subjects the forms are wir begannen, ihr begannt, sie begannen. Begann is thus a key past-tense form for both first- and third-person singular, and it serves to place actions in a past narrative context.

Etymology and classification

Beginnen is a strong verb with a long history in the Germanic language family. Begann derives from the historical stem beginnen and reflects the verb’s irregular past tense pattern common to many German strong verbs. The word’s meaning remains stable across its tenses: to start or to commence.

Usage notes

In standard written German, Präteritum is common for reporting past events, especially in formal narrative, history, and journalism. In everyday speech, the Perfekt (haben/beginnen + begonnen) is more common for past events. Begann is often seen in sentences such as “Der Film begann um acht” or “Sie begann ihr neues Projekt.”

Related forms

The past participle of beginnen is begonnen. The noun form for the concept is Beginn (beginning). The verb’s infinitive is beginnen.

See also: German verb conjugation, Präteritum, Perfect tense.