German word

Anfang

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈanfaŋ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounbeginning

Example

Am Anfang war alles schwer.

At the beginning, everything was difficult.

Illustration for Anfang (beginning)

More examples

Der Anfang des Films fesselte das Publikum.

The beginning of the film captivated the audience.

Core concept

A first foothold at the edge of an unfolding process.

Common phrases

  • der Anfang des Tages

    the beginning of the day

  • ein guter Anfang

    a good beginning

Similar words

Beginn: The point or period when something begins.
Start: The moment an action or event begins.

Definition in German

Der Beginn eines Vorgangs oder der erste Teil eines Geschehens.

Word origin

Anfang developed from Old High German anafang, built from an- and fang, the noun related to fangen, meaning "to catch" or "to grasp."

Usage tips

  • Anfang is masculine, and its plural is Anfänge, with an umlaut marking the vowel change.

Other meanings

  • startnoun
  • commencementnoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word