beginnt

Beginnt is the third-person singular present indicative form of the German verb beginnen, meaning to begin or to start. It is used to describe the moment when a subject initiates an action, event, or process, often with time references or subordinate clauses. For example: Der Kurs beginnt heute um neun Uhr. Der Film beginnt in fünf Minuten.

Conjugation and forms: the full present tense is ich beginne, du beginnst, er beginnt, wir beginnen, ihr beginnt, sie beginnen. The verb also forms the simple past as begann, and the past participle is begonnen. In the perfect tense, the auxiliary verb is haben: Der Kurs hat begonnen.

Etymology and related forms: beginnen comes from Old High German beginnan and has cognates in other Germanic languages, such as Dutch beginnen and English begin. The present tense form beginnt shares the common stem beginn- found in related verbs, while the noun Beginn refers to the act or moment of starting.

Usage notes: beginnen is often used with zu-infinitives to express beginning to do something, as in: Sie beginnt zu singen. It can also be combined with mit to indicate what is starting: Die Sitzung beginnt mit einer Begrüßung. In subordinate clauses, the verb position follows standard German syntax, with the finite form (beginnt) placed in its usual position.

See also: Begonnen (past participle), anfangen (synonymous verb with similar nuances).