To start in French 🇫🇷

Opposites

Commencer (to start) – Terminer (to finish)

7 months ago

commencer info.

**Tips to remember the French word “commencer”:**
– Think of the English phrase “to commence,” which is a formal way of saying “to start” and shares the same Latin root as “commencer.”
– Break it down: “com-” (together) + “mencer” (begin), as if multiple things are coming together to begin.
– Associate the word with a common situation, like starting a class: “La classe commence à huit heures” (The class starts at eight o’clock).

**Explanations:**
“Commencer” is indeed the infinitive form of the verb in French, meaning “to start” or “to begin.”

**Other words that mean the same thing:**
– “Débuter” (to debut, to begin)
– “Entamer” (to start, to initiate; can also mean to cut into or make a start on something, like a slice of cake)
– “Démarrer” (to start, often used for machines or vehicles.)

**Different conjugations of “commencer”:**

*Present:*
– je commence (I start)
– tu commences (you start, singular familiar)
– il/elle/on commence (he/she/one starts)
– nous commençons (we start)
– vous commencez (you start, singular formal or plural)
– ils/elles commencent (they start, masculine/feminine plural)

*Passé Composé (simple past):*
– j’ai commencé (I started)
– tu as commencé (you started)
– il/elle/on a commencé (he/she/one started)
– nous avons commencé (we started)
– vous avez commencé (you started)
– ils/elles ont commencé (they started)

*Imperfect:*
– je commençais (I was starting)
– tu commençais (you were starting)
– il/elle/on commençait (he/she/one was starting)
– nous commencions (we were starting)
– vous commenciez (you were starting)
– ils/elles commençaient (they were starting)

*Future Simple:*
– je commencerai (I will start)
– tu commenceras (you will start)
– il/elle/on commencera (he/she/one will start)
– nous commencerons (we will start)
– vous commencerez (you will start)
– ils/elles commenceront (they will start)

*Conditional:*
– je commencerais (I would start)
– tu commencerais (you would start)
– il/elle/on commencerait (he/she/one would start)
– nous commencerions (we would start)
– vous commenceriez (you would start)
– ils/elles commenceraient (they would start)

*Subjunctive:*
– que je commence (that I start)
– que tu commences (that you start)
– qu’il/elle/on commence (that he/she/one starts)
– que nous commencions (that we start)
– que vous commenciez (that you start)
– qu’ils/elles commencent (that they start)

**Examples of sentences that use “commencer”:**
– Je commence mon nouveau travail lundi. (I start my new job on Monday.)
– Nous commençons notre réunion à neuf heures. (We start our meeting at nine o’clock.)
– Quand est-ce qu’ils commencent la construction? (When do they start the construction?)
– Le film commence à dix heures. (The movie starts at ten o’clock.)
– Tu as commencé à apprendre l’espagnol? (Have you started learning Spanish?)

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