Start / Continue / Finish: 始める・続ける・終わる
Learn verb-combination patterns that show when an action begins, continues, or finishes in narratives and everyday descriptions.
Beginning an action
Verb stem + 始める shows that an action starts. It often appears with weather, speech, movement, or new habits, especially in narratives where the writer tracks how events unfold.
雨が降り始めた。
It started to rain.
Verb stem + 始める marks the start of an action.
彼は急に話し始めた。
He suddenly started talking.
A narrative-style beginning with a sudden change.
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