Suddenly starting to: 〜だす
Stem + 出す
Stem + 出す (だす): to suddenly start, all at once (雨が 降り出した). Not for a planned start or an invitation: use 〜はじめる there.
In short
〜だす (written 〜出す) shows that an action starts suddenly, unexpectedly or uncontrollably: 急に 雨が 降り出した, 赤ちゃんが なき出した. It's the abrupt cousin of 〜はじめる.
- 急に 雨が 降り出した。きゅうに あめが ふりだした。It suddenly started to rain.
- 赤ちゃんが なき出しました。あかちゃんが なきだしました。The baby burst into tears.
- ねこが 急に 走り出した。ねこが きゅうに はしりだした。The cat suddenly ran off.
The basics
出す means “to put out, to bring out”. Attached to a verb stem, it makes the action “burst out” all at once: it starts abruptly, often without warning — English “burst into”, “break into”, “suddenly start”. It's used mostly for phenomena (rain, wind), reactions (crying, laughing, running) or machines starting up.
It suddenly started to rain.
- other
- noun
- verb
- grammatical form
- 電車が 動き出しました。でんしゃが うごきだしました。The train started moving.
- その 話を 聞いて、みんなが 笑い出した。その はなしを きいて、みんなが わらいだした。When they heard the story, everyone burst out laughing.
だす or はじめる?
〜はじめる (seen earlier) simply says the action is starting, neutrally. It can be used for a planned or deliberate action, and so in an invitation. 〜だす stresses the surprise: you can't use it to suggest or decide to start something.
| 〜はじめる | 〜だす | |
|---|---|---|
| nuance | neutral start | sudden, unexpected start |
| deliberate action | ✓ 読み始めましょう | × “読み出しましょう” |
| phenomenon | ✓ 雨が 降り始めた | ✓ 雨が 降り出した (all at once) |
| planned start | ✓ 九時に 書き始める | × |
- では、テストを 始めます。書き始めて ください。では、てすとを はじめます。かきはじめて ください。Right, the test begins now. You may start writing.
- 彼女は 急に ないて 何か 言い出した。かのじょは きゅうに ないて なにか いいだした。She suddenly started saying something through her tears.
Writing and reading it
The stem (降り, なき, 走り) + 出す, which conjugates like a group 1 verb: 出した, 出して, 出しそう. It's often written with the kanji 出, but pronounced だす (not “でる”). Don't confuse it with the verb 出す on its own: 手紙を 出す (to send a letter), ゴミを 出す (to put the rubbish out).
- 手紙を 出しました。てがみを だしました。I sent a letter. (出す on its own)
- 子どもが 急に 歌い出しました。こどもが きゅうに うたいだしました。The child suddenly started singing. (〜だす)
Common mistakes
- Using it for a planned start or in an invitation: “読み出しましょう” is wrong; it's 読み始めましょう.
- Mixing it up with 出す “to take out, to send”: check whether there's a verb stem right before it.
- Forgetting the stem: “なく出す” is wrong; it's なき出す.
7 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N4 point is on the Ōsaka Kanjō Line (Emotions) of the Osaka subway.