begone (begun)

Begone and begun look similar but serve different roles: begone = an archaic, theatrical command meaning "go away"; begun = the past participle of begin, used with have/has/had or in perfect constructions. Read the quick tests below and jump to examples or rewrite templates when you need a fast fix.

Quick answer

Use begone only as a forceful or playful command meaning "go away." Use begun when you need the past participle of begin (after have/has/had or in perfect tenses). Prefer modern verbs like leave or go in formal writing.

Begone = imperative/exclamation (one word, theatrical).
Begun = past participle of begin (use after auxiliaries: has/have/had).
If you meant "started" and there's an auxiliary, choose begun; if you meant "leave," choose leave or go (or begone for effect).

Core explanation: form and function

Begone functions as an imperative: it tells someone or something to depart. It feels archaic or dramatic and is normally limited to dialogue, fiction, or joking contexts.

Begun is the past participle of begin. Use it with auxiliaries (have/has/had) for perfect tenses or whenever a past participle is required.

Begone → imperative/exclamation = "Go away!"
Begun → past participle = "She has begun." (with auxiliary)
Simple past of begin is began: "She began."

Real usage and tone

Begone reads as theatrical. Save it for character dialogue, fantasy, or playful banter. In business emails, reports, or essays it will often sound like a typo or an odd choice.

Begun is neutral and correct whenever you mean that something has started and you're using a perfect form.

Dialogue/fiction: "Begone, foul creature!" - fine.
Business/report: "The project has begun." - use begun.
Casual text: prefer "leave" or "go away"; only use begone if you intend a joke.

Spacing, hyphenation, and formatting traps

Neither word uses a hyphen. Don't write "be-gone" or "beg-un." Be careful with spacing - "be gone" is usually a mistake in modern prose.

Begone = one word (exclamation).
Begun = one word (past participle).
If you see "be gone" or "be gun," check whether the author meant begone or begun and fix spacing.

Wrong-spacing: "We have be gun the survey." → "We have begun the survey."
Wrong-hyphen: "be-gone, villain!" → "Begone, villain!" or better: "Please leave."

Grammar checklist (fast decision tree)

Use this quick sequence when you spot begone or begun and aren't sure which fits.

Step 1 - Meaning: If you mean "go away," think begone (or better, leave). If you mean "start," think begun/began.
Step 2 - Auxiliaries: If an auxiliary (have/has/had) is present and you mean "start," use begun.
Step 3 - Simple past: If no auxiliary and you mean past action, use began.

Quick test: Replace the word with "gone" and with "started." Which one preserves the sentence? That's your answer.
Example: Wrong: "The rollout has begone." →
Right: "The rollout has begun." (auxiliary present → begun)

Try your own sentence

Read the whole sentence in context. Context usually makes the correct word obvious. If you're still unsure, apply the checklist above.

Examples: wrong / right pairs (work, school, casual)

Common mistakes with direct corrections. Copy the right sentence or use the rewrite templates below.

Work
Wrong: "He has begone the new project without telling us." →
Right: "He has begun the new project without telling us."
Wrong: "The meeting has begone; please take your seats." →
Right: "The meeting has begun; please take your seats."
Wrong: "They have begone to implement the new policy." →
Right: "They have begun to implement the new policy."
School
Wrong: "She had begone her thesis last term." →
Right: "She had begun her thesis last term."
Wrong: "We have begone the tests today." →
Right: "We have begun the tests today."
Wrong: "Begone your homework before class." (attempt to command students to start work) →
Right: "Begin your homework before class." or "Please start your homework before class."
Casual
Wrong: "The party has begone already." →
Right: "The party has begun already."
Wrong: "Begone, I'm busy." (meant "I'm busy starting something") →
Right: "I've begun working on it; I'm busy." or "Please leave me alone - I'm busy."
Wrong: "Begone, you fiend!" (jokey but risky) →
Right: "Please go away." or keep "Begone, you fiend!" only in playful, clear contexts.

Rewrite help: copyable templates and fixes

Short templates you can paste to fix common errors quickly.

Perfect tense: Subject + have/has/had + begun + (object/phrase). Example: "We have begun the phase."
Simple past: Subject + began + (object). Example: "She began the experiment."
Polite command to leave: "Please leave." / "Could you step outside?" / "Kindly step away."

Wrong: "The training has begone." →
Right: "The training has begun."
Wrong: "We have begone phase two of the rollout." →
Right: "We have begun phase two of the rollout."
Wrong: "He had begone research on the topic." →
Right: "He had begun research on the topic."
Wrong: "Begone, I'll call you later." →
Right: "I've begun something; I'll call you later."
Wrong: "Begone from my office." →
Right: "Please leave my office."
Wrong: "She has began the experiment." →
Right: "She began the experiment." or "She has begun the experiment."

Memory trick: quick ways to remember

Two short images to keep in mind when you're writing under pressure.

Begone → think "gone" (g-o-n-e): tied to leaving. If "gone" fits the meaning, begone matches the sense (but prefer leave).
Begun → think "started": if "started" fits, use begun (with auxiliary) or began (simple past).

Quick test: swap the word with "gone" and "started." The replacement that preserves meaning points to the correct word.

Similar mistakes to watch for

These confusions often show up alongside begone/begun errors.

Begin vs began vs begun - base / simple past / past participle (begin / began / begun).
Gone vs begone - gone = state ("he is gone"); begone = command ("Begone!").
Spacing errors - "be gone" or "be gun" are usually wrong in modern prose.

Wrong: "She has began the course." →
Right: "She has begun the course."
Wrong: "He is begone." →
Right: "He is gone."
Wrong: "We will be-gin at noon." →
Right: "We will begin at noon."

FAQ

Can I ever use begone in modern writing?

Yes - for effect in fiction, dialogue, or playful banter. Avoid it in formal emails, reports, and academic work; prefer leave, depart, or go away.

Should I write "has began" or "has begun"?

Write "has begun." "Began" is simple past ("She began"), while "begun" is the past participle used after auxiliaries ("She has begun").

Is "be gone" ever correct as two words?

Almost never in standard prose. "Be gone" appears mainly in archaic or poetic contexts. For normal writing, use "begone" (if you must) or a modern verb like "leave."

How do I fix a sentence that used begone but meant "started"?

Replace begone with begun and include the correct auxiliary (has/have/had) for perfect tenses. For simple past, use began. Example: "We have begun the test," not "We have begone the test."

Do grammar checkers catch this mistake?

Most modern grammar tools flag unusual uses and will suggest "begun" when an auxiliary appears in a "started" context, and they may recommend a neutral alternative like "leave" instead of "begone" in formal writing.

Want a quick check?

If you're unsure, paste the sentence into a grammar tool or use the checklist above: started? → begun (or began); go away? → leave (or begone for effect). Keep two quick fixes on hand: "has begun" and "please leave" - they resolve most mistakes at a glance.