Can someone help explain the difference between Hajimeru and Hajimaru?

Question

What is the difference between 始める{はじめる} (hajimeru) and 始まる{はじまる} (hajimaru)?

Would appreciate some advice on this.

Thanks

Some related answers and questions: Difference between 折る and 折れる (istrasci's answer links to several other useful pages), and とまる / とめる and such pairs of verbs — Flaw, Oct 31 '16 at 06:25

score 16 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 31 '16 at 05:17

In a nutshell, both hajimeru and hajimaru mean "to start".

More specifically, hajimeru is transitive -- "to start something". Meanwhile, hajimaru is intransitive -- it cannot take an object, so "something starts (on its own)".

There are several verb pairs like this, all with -meru / -maru endings: hiromeru "to widen something" vs. hiromaru "something widens (on its own)"; katameru "to harden something" vs. katamaru "something hardens on its own"; osameru "to quell something, to put something under control" vs. osamaru "something quells, something becomes under control", etc. etc.

score 12 · Answer 2 · edited Jun 17 '20 at 08:18

12

始める : transitive

会議を始めましょう! Let's start the meeting!
始まる : intransitive

会議が始まりました。The meeting has begun.

edited Jun 17 '20 at 08:18

Community

1

answered Oct 31 '16 at 05:15

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score 7 · Answer 3 · edited Oct 31 '16 at 06:11

7

One is transitive (has an object), the other one is intransitive (doesn't have an object).

始める - to begin (something)
始まる - to begin

今日新しいダイエットを始めた。
- I started a new diet today.

新しいダイエットは今日から始まる。
- My new diet starts today.

edited Oct 31 '16 at 06:11

chocolate

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answered Oct 31 '16 at 05:19

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Can someone help explain the difference between Hajimeru and Hajimaru?

3 Answers3

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