beginnst

Beginnst is the second-person singular present indicative form of the German verb beginnen, meaning to begin or to start. It is formed from the stem beginn- plus the personal ending -st, and it inherits the feature of consonant doubling found in the stem.

Etymology and forms: beginnen comes from Old High German beginnan and is cognate with the English verb begin. The present tense forms include ich beginne, du beginnst, er beginnt, wir beginnen, ihr beginnt, sie beginnen. Beginnst is specifically used when addressing someone informally as you begin. In formal address, the form Sie beginnen is used.

Usage: beginnst appears in everyday speech and writing to indicate that the subject starts an action in the present. Examples: “Du beginnst heute mit der Prüfungsvorbereitung.” “Wenn du früh beginnst, erreichst du mehr.” The verb can be followed by an infinitive without zu, as in “Ich beginne zu arbeiten,” or by other clauses describing the starting action. Like other German verbs, beginnst declines with person and number in the present tense.

Related terms: synonymous or closely related verbs include anfangen (to start, to begin a task) and starten (to start, often in the sense of initiating a process or machine). The past participle of beginnen is begonnen, used with auxiliary haben to form perfect tenses.

See also: begin-nein-relationship, verb conjugation patterns, German grammar resources.