début

Début is a French noun meaning the beginning or first public appearance of a person, event, or thing. In everyday French it marks the start of a period or process and is used in phrases such as au début (at the start) or le début de quelque chose (the beginning of something). In English, the word debut (often without the accent) denotes a first public appearance or performance and can also function as a verb meaning to perform for the first time.

Etymology: The term originates in French as débút, borrowed from Italian and related Latin forms that referred to a beginning or first appearance. The English usage dates from the early modern period, importing the noun and later the verb sense.

Usage in French: Début identifies a concrete starting moment—such as le début de l’année or les débuts d’un artiste. The expression ses débuts refers to someone’s early career or initial efforts. The corresponding verb débuter means to begin; its past tense forms include il débuta (he began) in literary narration and forms used in other tenses in everyday speech.

Usage in English: Debut is common in media and entertainment to indicate a first public appearance, such as a debut album or a debut performance. As a verb, to debut means to perform for the first time, as in a performer who will debut next week. A related term, debutante, denotes a young woman formally introduced to society at a debut event.