cominciamo

Cominciamo is the first-person plural present indicative form of the Italian verb cominciare, meaning to begin or to start. In everyday use, it often functions as a hortative expression equivalent to “let us begin” or “we shall begin,” inviting a group to start a task, discussion, or sequence of actions.

Etymology and form: The verb cominciare derives from Latin incipere (to begin) and entered Italian through intermediate forms that fused a prefix with the root. The form cominciamo corresponds to noi (we), and its participle is cominciato. Other related forms include cominciate (you all begin) and cominciando (starting, gerund).

Usage and nuances: Cominciamo is commonly employed at the start of meetings, presentations, lessons, or narratives to initiate a process. It can precede phrases such as cominciamo con..., cominciamo ora, or cominciamo dalla base to guide the audience through the forthcoming steps. While largely informal and conversational, it also appears in more formal contexts when a speaker wants to engage listeners inclusively.

Translations and examples: In English, cominciamo is most closely rendered as “let’s begin” or “we shall begin.” Examples: Cominciamo con una breve presentazione. (Let’s begin with a brief presentation.) Cominciamo ora la riunione. (We’ll begin the meeting now.)

See also: iniziare, cominciare (synonyms and related verbs), hortative expressions in Italian.