Au début
Example: Au début, il faisait très froid dehors ce matin.
Definition
"Au début" is a French expression meaning 'at the beginning' or 'initially.' It is used to indicate the starting point of an event or situation, as in the example phrase: 'Au début, il faisait très froid dehors ce matin,' which means 'At the beginning, it was very cold outside this morning.'
Etymology
The expression "Au début" comes from the French words 'au,' a contraction of 'à le' meaning 'at the,' and 'début,' meaning 'start' or 'beginning.' The word 'début' itself originates from the Old French 'debut,' which means 'a beginning or first appearance.' Did you know that 'début' shares roots with the English word 'debut,' both referring to an initial appearance or start?
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"Au début" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 107 commonly used expressions.
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