beginning

début

Partie qui vient avant le milieu et la fin de quelque chose.

En anglais simple : The first part of something, before the middle and the end.

• I missed the beginning of the film.
• Read the story from the beginning.
• The beginning of the book is very funny.

Comment l'utiliser : at the beginning of something (Her name appears at the beginning of the letter.); from the beginning (Please play the song from the beginning.)

Synonymes : start, opening

Contraires : end

Expressions courantes : beginning of something, at the beginning, from the beginning

début, commencement

Action de commencer quelque chose ou moment où cela commence.

En anglais simple : The act or moment of starting something.

• Today marks the beginning of spring.
• The move offered her a new beginning.
• We celebrated the beginning of the project.

Comment l'utiliser : beginning of something (The ceremony marked the beginning of the festival.)

Synonymes : start, commencement

Contraires : end

Expressions courantes : new beginning, beginning of something, mark a beginning

origine, début

Source ou cause à partir de laquelle quelque chose se développe.

En anglais simple : The source or cause from which something develops.

• That argument was the beginning of their feud.
• The business grew from humble beginnings.
• Nobody knows the beginning of this tradition.

Comment l'utiliser : beginning of something (The discovery marked the beginning of a new industry.)

Synonymes : origin, source

Expressions courantes : beginning of something, humble beginning, small beginning

ébauche, premiers éléments

Petite partie initiale ou première forme de quelque chose qui pourra se développer.

En anglais simple : A small first part or early form of something that may develop further.

• These sketches are the beginnings of a design.
• We found the beginnings of a settlement near the river.
• Her notes contain the beginnings of a novel.

Comment l'utiliser : beginnings of something (The children learned the beginnings of arithmetic.)

Synonymes : rudiment, germ

Expressions courantes : beginnings of something, small beginning, early beginning

initial

Qui se trouve au début de quelque chose qui se poursuit ensuite.

En anglais simple : At the start of something longer.

• Read the beginning paragraph first.
• The beginning pages explain the main problem.
• Her name appears in the beginning section.

Synonymes : initial, opening

Contraires : final

Expressions courantes : beginning paragraph, beginning section, beginning pages