to begin with

to begin with — idiom

1. used when talking about the first stage of an activity or situation, especially

1.慣用語B1
釋義

used when talking about the first stage of an activity or situation, especially to contrast it with how things later become.

例句

The garden project excited everyone, but to begin with, Salma was the only one willing to water the plants.

contrast: early stage vs later change

To begin with, Bao's restaurant only served noodle soups.

sentence-opening position

同義詞
  • at first

    more general; works in any temporal context

  • initially

    slightly more formal; common in written English

  • in the beginning

    less common in everyday speech; more literary

反義詞
  • in the end

    signals the final stage, which contrasts with the initial one

  • later on

    points to a subsequent time after the start

文法句型

to begin with + clause

用法筆記

Can appear at the start or in the middle of a sentence. When placed in the middle, it strongly signals a contrast between the early conditions and what happened or changed later.

常見錯誤

❌To begin with the meeting, we discussed the budget.
✅To begin with, the meeting focused on the budget.
💡'To begin with' as a fixed idiom means 'at first'; do not confuse it with the infinitive 'to begin (something)'.

2. used to state the most important point in a list of arguments, especially when e

2.慣用語B1
釋義

used to state the most important point in a list of arguments, especially when explaining why you disagree with something or why something is not a good idea.

例句

To begin with, the proposal is far too expensive for our current budget.

first reason in a series of arguments

I do not think we should hire Femi — to begin with, he has no experience in this field.

mid-sentence position with dash

同義詞
  • first of all

    more common in speech; can also be used for sequencing actions

  • for one thing

    informal; often paired with 'for another thing'

  • first

    simpler and more direct; works in most contexts

反義詞
  • finally

    marks the last point, which contrasts with the first one

文法句型

to begin with + clause

用法筆記

Often begins a sentence and is followed by a comma. This sense implies that at least one more reason will follow — it sounds odd if you use 'to begin with' and then stop without adding another point.

常見錯誤

❌To begin with, I like the design.' (when this is the only point)
✅To begin with, I like the design. It is also within our price range.
💡'To begin with' suggests a list, so a second reason is expected.
❌To begin with, let me introduce myself.
✅First, let me introduce myself.
💡Use 'first (of all)' for sequencing actions; 'to begin with' is for listing reasons or arguments.