German Word of the Day
anfangen
AN-fahn-gen • verb (separable) — 5th of Jun, 2026
Listen to pronunciation
Meaning: to begin or start (an action, event, or process)
Examples
- Wann fängt der Film an?
(When does the movie start?) - Der Kurs fängt nächste Woche an.
(The course starts next week.) - Ich fange gleich mit der Arbeit an.
(I'll start the work in a moment.)
Synonyms
Click a synonym to see how it compares to anfangen.
Conjugation
| Person | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | fange an | fing an |
| du | fängst an | fingst an |
| er/sie/es | fängt an | fing an |
| wir | fangen an | fingen an |
| ihr | fangt an | fingt an |
| sie/Sie | fangen an | fingen an |
See all 6 tenses of anfangen →
Anfangen is a common separable verb: in present and simple past the prefix 'an' moves to the end (e.g., 'Ich fange jetzt an.'). Use 'anfangen mit' to say 'to start with' something (e.g., 'Wir fangen mit dem ersten Kapitel an.'). It is interchangeable with 'beginnen' in many contexts; 'starten' is more colloquial or used for machines/events.
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