<p>I am only a semi-advanced learner so I will depend on others to correct me.</p>
<p>First 开始 and 起来 behave quite differently syntactically and connect to the verb differently as others have pointed out.  Also, since 开始 is two syllables, it won't work well with another verb that is only one syllable.  I don't think you would say 他开始跑, but rather 他开始跑步 to say that someone has started to run as exercise or 他跑起来 to say &quot;he broke out in a run.&quot;</p>
<p>Second, I think that 起来 gives a vivid picture of a sudden transition into a new action; whereas 开始 lacks this meaning and is more appropriate for something gradual or less vivid.  For example, I think that if someone started taking singing lessons, you would say 他开始每天唱歌 to indicate they have started a daily practice routine.  If you say 他每天唱起歌来, your are saying something like &quot;he breaks out into song every day.&quot;</p>
<p>Furthermore, I think 起来 is appropriate only when the new action actually gets perceptibly under way.  With 开始, the new action may not be apparent yet.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-07T01:31:55.817Z
2022-01-07T01:31:55.817Z
Vegawatcher
<p>As the accepted answer explains, they behave differently syntactically insofar as verbs and objects will be placed differently around them.</p>
<p>But you asked if they're synonyms, ie if they share the same sense of &quot;to start&quot;.</p>
<p>They do not.</p>
<p>You can look at the words themselves for guidance.</p>
<p>开始 indicates the <em>opening</em> (开) of something that will therefore presumably have a <em>closing</em>. In other words, 开始 refers the <strong>onset of a close-ended activity</strong>, eg 开始唱 = start the singing, start the song. 开始 is more likely to collocate with a full two-syllable verb and/or object to better indicate just what kind of activity is going to be started.</p>
<p>起来 indicates that an action has simply <em>come up</em> (起) and there's no expectation as to how or when it will <em>change</em>. In other words, 起来 refers to the <strong>outbreak of an open-ended process</strong>, eg 唱起来 = get singing, break into song. 起来 is the better choice to use with vague, monosyllabic verbs to indicate a general state that suddenly got into being (eg getting warm, bursting out crying, etc).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-10-16T09:52:51.820Z
2022-10-16T09:52:51.820Z
Sanchuan
<p>Think of the line in 义勇军进行曲: 起来！起来！起来！</p>
<p>I certainly would not translate this 起来 as Get up! How lacking in culture!</p>
<p>Try: Arise! Arise! Arise! (definitely not Start! Start! Start!)</p>
<p>You can say: 看起来， but not 看开始<br />
You can say: 开始看， and you can say 起来看</p>
<p>早上六点我的猫开始叫我起来。<br />
At 6am my cat starts calling me to get up.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-06T22:32:27.737Z
2022-01-06T22:32:27.737Z
Pedroski
<p>开始 - start, begin</p>
<p>起来 - get up</p>
<p>The only expression using 起来 as &quot;start&quot; is: &quot;快快動起来...&quot; - hurry up to start...</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-06T17:04:17.500Z
2022-01-06T17:04:17.500Z
r13
<blockquote>
<p>[<strong>开始</strong>] (start; begin) itself is a [<strong>verb</strong>], which means it can be the only verb in a sentence</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Example:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>你可以<strong>开始</strong>  (you can <strong>begin</strong>)</p>
</li>
<li><p>会议可以<strong>开始</strong> (the meeting can <strong>start</strong>)</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>It can work with another co-verb,  which means it can co-exist with another verb in a sentence</p>
<p>Example:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>你可以开始写 (you can start writing)</p>
</li>
<li><p>你可以开始读 (you can start reading)</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>It is always [开始 + v] never [v + 开始]</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[<strong>起来</strong>] (start) is a [<strong>verb particle</strong>] that indicates the verb has begun</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Example:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>跑 = run</p>
</li>
<li><p>打 = fight</p>
</li>
<li><p>哭 = cry</p>
</li>
<li><p>跑起来 = start running</p>
</li>
<li><p>打起来 = start fighting</p>
</li>
<li><p>哭起来 = start crying</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>It is always [v + 起来], never [起来 + v]</p>
<p>The object must be placed after 开始 and its co-verb</p>
<p>Example:</p>
<ul>
<li>你可以开始写<strong>你的辞职信</strong>了 (You can start writing <strong>your resignation letter</strong>)</li>
</ul>
<p>[V + 起来] usually don't take objects.</p>
<p>When 起来 is working with a separable compound verb, it can break up the two characters, inserts 起 between them and 来 at the end</p>
<p>Example:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>他突然<strong>唱歌</strong> (he suddenly sings)</p>
</li>
<li><p>他突然<strong>唱</strong>起<strong>歌</strong>来 (he suddenly start <strong>singing</strong>)</p>
</li>
<li><p>他突然<strong>说话</strong> (he suddenly <strong>speaks</strong>)</p>
</li>
<li><p>他突然<strong>说</strong>起<strong>话</strong>来  (he suddenly start <strong>speaking</strong>)</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>When 起来 is working with an inseparable compound verb, it leaves the compound verb intact</p>
<p>Example:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>打斗</strong>起来 (start <strong>fighting</strong>) <em>never 打起斗来</em></p>
</li>
<li><p><strong>工作</strong>起来 (start <strong>working</strong>) <em>never 工起作来</em></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>The above two examples can be seen commonly in [topic + comment] sentences</p>
<p>Example:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>[<strong>topic</strong>: 两帮人打斗起来 (If the two groups start fighting)] + [<strong>comment</strong>: 肯定会有死伤 (there will be casualties)]</p>
</li>
<li><p>[<strong>topic</strong>: 他工作起来(when he start working)] + [<strong>commen</strong>t: 连饭也会忘了吃 (he can even forget to eat]</p>
</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>unrelated to the role of verb particle, 起, and 来 can be used as result complement for the same verb</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Example:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>站 = stand</p>
</li>
<li><p>站起 = stand up</p>
</li>
<li><p>站起来 = standing up (not start standing)</p>
</li>
<li><p>记 = remember</p>
</li>
<li><p>记起 = remember (successfuly)</p>
</li>
<li><p>记起了 = have remembered</p>
</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-06T20:21:57.590Z
2022-01-07T00:19:04.617Z
2022-01-07T00:19:04.617Z
Tang Ho
<p>When used with another verb 开始 and 起来 both convey the meaning: to start doing something. Are they synonymous in that specific usage?</p>

<grammar><meaning-in-context><vocabulary><verbs>
开始和起来有什么不同？to start + verb
# 开始和起来有什么不同？to start + verb

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-01-06)

When used with another verb 开始 and 起来 both convey the meaning: to start doing something. Are they synonymous in that specific usage?

**Tags:** grammar, meaning-in-context, vocabulary, verbs


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## 5 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2022-01-06. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

> [**开始**] (start; begin) itself is a [**verb**], which means it can be the only verb in a sentence

Example:

* 你可以**开始** (you can **begin**)
* 会议可以**开始** (the meeting can **start**)

It can work with another co-verb, which means it can co-exist with another verb in a sentence

Example:

* 你可以开始写 (you can start writing)
* 你可以开始读 (you can start reading)

It is always [开始 + v] never [v + 开始]

> [**起来**] (start) is a [**verb particle**] that indicates the verb has begun

Example:

* 跑 = run
* 打 = fight
* 哭 = cry
* 跑起来 = start running
* 打起来 = start fighting
* 哭起来 = start crying

It is always [v + 起来], never [起来 + v]

The object must be placed after 开始 and its co-verb

Example:

* 你可以开始写**你的辞职信**了 (You can start writing **your resignation letter**)

[V + 起来] usually don't take objects.

When 起来 is working with a separable compound verb, it can break up the two characters, inserts 起 between them and 来 at the end

Example:

* 他突然**唱歌** (he suddenly sings)
* 他突然**唱**起**歌**来 (he suddenly start **singing**)
* 他突然**说话** (he suddenly **speaks**)
* 他突然**说**起**话**来 (he suddenly start **speaking**)

When 起来 is working with an inseparable compound verb, it leaves the compound verb intact

Example:

* **打斗**起来 (start **fighting**) *never 打起斗来*
* **工作**起来 (start **working**) *never 工起作来*

The above two examples can be seen commonly in [topic + comment] sentences

Example:

* [**topic**: 两帮人打斗起来 (If the two groups start fighting)] + [**comment**: 肯定会有死伤 (there will be casualties)]
* [**topic**: 他工作起来(when he start working)] + [**commen**t: 连饭也会忘了吃 (he can even forget to eat]

> unrelated to the role of verb particle, 起, and 来 can be used as result complement for the same verb

Example:

* 站 = stand
* 站起 = stand up
* 站起来 = standing up (not start standing)
* 记 = remember
* 记起 = remember (successfuly)
* 记起了 = have remembered


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### Answer by username_1 on 2022-01-07. Score: 2

I am only a semi-advanced learner so I will depend on others to correct me.

First 开始 and 起来 behave quite differently syntactically and connect to the verb differently as others have pointed out. Also, since 开始 is two syllables, it won't work well with another verb that is only one syllable. I don't think you would say 他开始跑, but rather 他开始跑步 to say that someone has started to run as exercise or 他跑起来 to say "he broke out in a run."

Second, I think that 起来 gives a vivid picture of a sudden transition into a new action; whereas 开始 lacks this meaning and is more appropriate for something gradual or less vivid. For example, I think that if someone started taking singing lessons, you would say 他开始每天唱歌 to indicate they have started a daily practice routine. If you say 他每天唱起歌来, your are saying something like "he breaks out into song every day."

Furthermore, I think 起来 is appropriate only when the new action actually gets perceptibly under way. With 开始, the new action may not be apparent yet.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2022-10-16. Score: 0

As the accepted answer explains, they behave differently syntactically insofar as verbs and objects will be placed differently around them.

But you asked if they're synonyms, ie if they share the same sense of "to start".

They do not.

You can look at the words themselves for guidance.

开始 indicates the *opening* (开) of something that will therefore presumably have a *closing*. In other words, 开始 refers the **onset of a close-ended activity**, eg 开始唱 = start the singing, start the song. 开始 is more likely to collocate with a full two-syllable verb and/or object to better indicate just what kind of activity is going to be started.

起来 indicates that an action has simply *come up* (起) and there's no expectation as to how or when it will *change*. In other words, 起来 refers to the **outbreak of an open-ended process**, eg 唱起来 = get singing, break into song. 起来 is the better choice to use with vague, monosyllabic verbs to indicate a general state that suddenly got into being (eg getting warm, bursting out crying, etc).


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### Answer by username_3 on 2022-01-06. Score: 0

Think of the line in 义勇军进行曲: 起来！起来！起来！

I certainly would not translate this 起来 as Get up! How lacking in culture!

Try: Arise! Arise! Arise! (definitely not Start! Start! Start!)

You can say: 看起来， but not 看开始  
You can say: 开始看， and you can say 起来看

早上六点我的猫开始叫我起来。  
At 6am my cat starts calling me to get up.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2022-01-06. Score: 0

开始 - start, begin

起来 - get up

The only expression using 起来 as "start" is: "快快動起来..." - hurry up to start...


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