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How to Say ‘I'll start’ in French

Je commence

zhuh koh-MAHNS

[zhuh koh-MAHNS]

💬 Usage Tip: French uses the plain present for something you're about to do right now. Je commence works where English says "I'll start".

Phrase Breakdown

[zhuh]

Pronoun used by the speaker to identify themselves.

Example

Je suis content.

I am happy.

commence

[koh-MAHNS]

start / begin

Form of 'commencer'; with 'on' it means 'we start'.

Example

On commence par respirer.

We start by breathing.

Guides for French learners

The Most Common French Verbs: the 20 You'll Actually UseThe 20 most common French verbs, with the present-tense forms you need, real example sentences with native audio, and two shortcuts for past and future.Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.

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