What is the difference between "開始", "言い出す", "振り出す", "着手する"?

"開始" means "start; commencement; beginning", "言い出す" means "to start talking, to bring up (a topic), to suggest", "振り出す" means "to start to rain/snow (suddenly); to issue (a check, bill)", "着手する" means "to start work, to embark on, to commence".

Quadruple VS

Synonym Boundary: "開始", "言い出す", "振り出す", "着手する"

All represent the core concept "start", but require precise selection.

Japanese Option A

開始

かいし (kaishi)

N3 / CEFR

Japanese Option B

言い出す

いいだす (iidasu)

N3 / CEFR

Japanese Option C

振り出す

ふりだす (furidasu)

N2 / CEFR

Japanese Option D

着手する

ちゃくしゅする (chakushusuru)

N2 / CEFR

Quadruple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

When expressing "start" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "開始", "言い出す", "振り出す", "着手する" based on context.

開始 (かいし (kaishi) - Level: N3): Maps to "start; commencement; beginning" and is used when Often used for events, meetings, projects, or formal procedures. Can be a noun.
言い出す (いいだす (iidasu) - Level: N3): Maps to "to start talking, to bring up (a topic), to suggest" and is used when Often implies initiating a conversation or being the first to speak about something, sometimes after hesitation or difficulty. 誰かが最初に話すこと、または躊躇した後に何かを話すことを意味します。.
振り出す (ふりだす (furidasu) - Level: N2): Maps to "to start to rain/snow (suddenly); to issue (a check, bill)" and is used when 雨や雪が急に降り始める様子や、小切手・手形などを発行する際に使われます。/ Used when rain or snow suddenly starts, or when issuing checks or bills..
着手する (ちゃくしゅする (chakushusuru) - Level: N2): Maps to "to start work, to embark on, to commence" and is used when Often used for formally or significantly beginning a project, task, or investigation..

Mixing these up can easily lead to unnatural translations. Refer to the bilingual context cards below to master the boundaries!

Context for "開始"

会議は午後1時に開始します。

The meeting will start at 1 PM.

Context for "言い出す"

会議で誰も意見を言い出せなかった。

No one could bring up their opinion in the meeting.

Context for "振り出す"

急に雨が振り出したので、洗濯物を取り込んだ。

It suddenly started raining, so I brought in the laundry.

Context for "着手する"

新しい研究プロジェクトは来月から着手される予定だ。

The new research project is scheduled to commence next month.

Synonym Mastery Challenge

Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?

Fill in the blank: "会議は午後1時に＿＿＿します。" (Meaning: "The meeting will start at 1 PM.")

🎉 Correct Answer!

Remember: "開始" is correct here because it represents "start; commencement; beginning" in the context: "The meeting will start at 1 PM.".