Japanese grammar
What does ～はじめる／～おわる mean? Japanese grammar N4
～はじめる／～おわる means to begin to ~ / to finish ~.
| Level (estimated, JLPT framework) | N4 |
|---|---|
| Structure | V masu stem + はじめます V masu stem + おわります |
| Romaji | ~ hajimeru / ~ owaru |
| Meaning | to begin to ~ / to finish ~ |
Forming it
| おわる | Group 1 verb: おわります、おわった、おわって |
|---|---|
| How to form | Drop ます and add はじめる／おわる: 読みます → 読みはじめる／読みおわる |
| はじめる | Group 2 verb: はじめます、はじめた、はじめて |
| Combined with 出す | ～だす (a sudden ～はじめる): 泣きだす、降りだす — emphasizes suddenness |
How to use it
Marks the starting point or ending point of an ongoing action.
- Both attach to the ます stem. はじめる marks the starting point, おわる marks the ending point. Therefore the preceding verb must be an action WITH DURATION — you can't say 「死にはじめる」.
- Distinguish from the standalone verbs 始まる／終わる: 「授業が始まります」(class begins — automatic, no agent acting) differs from 「私は勉強しはじめます」(I begin studying — someone actively does it). はじめる (as a suffix) is transitive and requires an agent.
- There is a sibling pattern ～だす (from 出す), also meaning "begin" but emphasizing SUDDENNESS, unexpectedness: 「急に雨が降りだしました」(it suddenly started raining). Compare with 「降りはじめました」(it started raining — neutral). Because of its sudden nuance, ～だす doesn't go with volition: you can't say 「勉強しだそう」.
- おわる is used less than はじめる, since Japanese already has ～てしまう (finish completely) and the standalone verb 終わる. 「食べおわりました」 is perfectly correct, but Japanese speakers also often say 「食べ終わりました」 or simply 「もう食べました」.
- When to write in kanji? Both can be written as 読み始める／読み終わる. Unlike the ～てみる／～ておく group (which must stay in hiragana), this group can be written with kanji because they form a genuine compound verb.
Examples
去年から日本語を勉強しはじめました。
I started studying Japanese last year.
この本を読みおわったら、貸してください。
When you finish reading this book, please lend it to me.
子供が急に泣きだしました。
The child suddenly burst into tears.
Keep in mind
- はじめる is a group 2 verb, おわる is a group 1 verb — they conjugate differently, easy to mix up.
- ～だす isn't used with commands, invitations, or volition.
Common mistakes
-
Wrong日本語を勉強するはじめました。
I started studying Japanese.
Correct日本語を勉強しはじめました。
Must attach to the ます STEM (勉強し), not the dictionary form. For the verb する, the ます stem is し — this is a point where learners often get confused.
-
Wrong一緒に走りだしましょう。
Let's start running together.
Correct一緒に走りはじめましょう。
～だす means beginning SUDDENLY, unintentionally, so it doesn't go with invitations or volition. To invite someone to start together, ～はじめる must be used.
Exam tips
- Distinguishing ～はじめる (neutral) from ～だす (sudden) is a commonly tested point.
- Remember はじめる conjugates as a Group 2 verb, おわる as a Group 1 verb.