verb

commencer

start

C’est faire quelque chose pour la première fois ou débuter une action.

Definition & meaning

Commencer is a French verb meaning “to begin,” “to start,” or “to commence.” It describes the beginning of an action, event, period, or process.

Le film commence à huit heures. — The film starts at eight o’clock.
Elle commence à travailler. — She begins working.
Nous commençons un nouveau projet. — We are starting a new project.

It can also mean to start doing something, usually with à followed by an infinitive:

Il commence à comprendre. — He is beginning to understand.

With par, it means to begin with or to start by doing something:

Je vais commencer par lire le rapport. — I will start by reading the report.

Grammar & Word origin

Commencer is a regular first-group verb ending in -er, but its spelling changes in some forms to preserve the soft “s” sound of c:

je commence — I begin
tu commences — you begin
il/elle commence — he/she begins
nous commençons — we begin
vous commencez — you begin
ils/elles commencent — they begin

The cedilla in commençons ensures that c is pronounced /s/ before o.

The past tense is formed with avoir:

J’ai commencé. — I started / I have started.

The verb comes from Old French and ultimately derives from Latin cominitiare, related to the idea of initiating something.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

— “to begin” or “to start.” It is very close in meaning to commencer, but can sound slightly more formal and is often used for events, activities, or periods.
— “to start,” especially for machines, vehicles, projects, or activities. It is more colloquial in many contexts.
— “to begin” or “to embark on,” often suggesting that one has begun to work through or consume something, such as a task, meal, discussion, or phase.
— “to undertake” or “to embark on.” It emphasizes taking on a significant task or project rather than merely starting it.

Antonyms

— “to finish” or “to end,” the general opposite of commencer.
— “to complete” or “to bring to an end,” often emphasizing the formal conclusion of something.
— “to complete” or “to bring fully to an end,” with a stronger sense of reaching the final stage.
— “to stop” or “to halt.” Unlike finir, it can mean stopping before something is completed.

Common phrases & collocations

+ infinitive — to begin doing something
Elle commence à pleuvoir. — It is beginning to rain.
+ infinitive or noun — to start by or with
Commence par écouter. — Start by listening.
— to start something
Ils commencent le travail. — They are starting the work.
— “That’s a good start,” sometimes used ironically.
— “to start again” or “to do again.”