begint

Begint is the third-person singular present tense form of the Dutch verb beginnen, meaning to begin. It is used with hij, zij, or het to express that something starts. The infinitive is beginnen; the corresponding past tense is begon and the past participle begun. In main clauses the finite verb typically occupies the second position, as in Vandaag begint hij aan het project. In subordinate clauses the order can change, and Dutch can use structures like Het begint te regenen, meaning It is starting to rain, where the verb phrase begint te regenen follows a subject.

Etymology and cognates: Begint derives from Old Dutch beginnan (to begin) and is cognate with the English begin and the German beginnen. The Dutch infinitive beginnen and its forms share common Germanic roots, reflecting a family resemblance across related languages.

Usage notes: Begint is used for present-tense statements about starts of actions, processes, or events. It combines with prepositional phrases such as beginnen met (to begin with) to indicate starting points, and with the construction beginnen te + infinitive to describe the act of starting to do something, as in Het project begint te leren groeien sounds awkward; a common form is Het project begint nu te groeien. Other present forms include ik begin, jij begint, wij beginnen, zij beginnen, with beginn corresponding to the stem bëgin- in compounds.

See also: begin (noun), beginnen (infinitive), German beginnen, English begin.