beginner
gb/bɪɡˈɪnɚ/ us/bɪɡˈɪnɚ/
A2
English
~ 9200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Person who is new to something
Someone who has just started to learn or do something and is not experienced yet.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a beginner at [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "beginner" (a person) with "beginning" (the start of something). For example, "I am a beginning" is incorrect; it should be "I am a beginner". Another common issue is using the wrong preposition: we usually say "a beginner at chess" or "a beginner in English", not "a beginner of chess".
Synonyms
novice (Slightly more formal; often used in work or specialist contexts.)
|
rookie (Informal; often used in sports or jobs, can sound a bit teasing.)
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newcomer (Focuses on someone new to a place, group, or field, not only to a skill.)
|
learner (Focuses on the act of learning rather than how new the person is.)
|
starter (Less common for people; sometimes used informally in sports or hobbies.)
Antonyms
expert (Emphasizes very high skill or knowledge, the opposite of little experience.)
|
professional (Suggests both high skill and being paid to do the activity, not a beginner.)
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veteran (Highlights long experience over time, the opposite of just starting.)
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old hand (Informal; means someone who has done something many times and knows it well.)
Collocations
complete beginner
|absolute beginner
|beginner level
|beginner course
|beginner class
|beginner skills
Themes
education
|work
|hobbies
|sports
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I'm a complete beginner at guitar, so I need a very simple course.
- The class is designed for beginners who have never written code before.
- As a beginner, she made a lot of small mistakes but improved quickly.
- Our gym offers a special session for beginners to learn the basic exercises.
- Even beginners can follow this recipe because the steps are clearly explained.
Learner examples
- I am a beginner at English.
- This book is good for beginners.
- He is a beginner, so please help him.
- The teacher spoke slowly because most students were beginners.
- We have a beginner class on Monday.
Grammar
Expressions
absolute beginner
1/ˈæbsəlˌut bɪɡˈɪnɚ/
fixed phrase
Person with zero experience
Someone who has no experience at all in an activity or subject.
Examples
- This course is suitable for absolute beginners with no background in programming.
- The yoga class welcomes absolute beginners, so don't worry if you can't touch your toes.
beginner course
1/bɪɡˈɪnɚ kˈɔɹs/
fixed phrase
Course designed for beginners
A class that teaches the basics of a subject to people who are just starting.
Examples
- She enrolled in a beginner course in graphic design.
- Our school runs a beginner course for adults who want to learn piano.
beginner level
1/bɪɡˈɪnɚ lˈɛvəl/
fixed phrase
Lowest difficulty level
The easiest level of a class, game, or activity, made for beginners.
Examples
- I signed up for the beginner level Spanish class.
- Most online courses offer beginner level, intermediate, and advanced sections.
beginner's guide
1/bɪɡˈɪnɚz ɡˈaɪd/
fixed phrase
Introductory guide for newcomers
A simple book, video, or article that explains the basics of something for beginners.
Examples
- I bought a beginner's guide to photography to learn how to use my new camera.
- This website has a beginner's guide to investing in the stock market.
for beginners
1/fɚ bɪɡˈɪnɚz/
fixed phrase
Intended for new learners
Used to say that something is made for people who are just starting to learn or do it.
Examples
- This is a basic grammar book for beginners.
- We offer a cooking class for beginners every Saturday.
beginner's luck
1/bɪɡˈɪnɚz lˈʌk/
idiom
Unusually good first-time success
When someone who is new to an activity does very well the first time, often better than expected.
Examples
- She won her first game—must be beginner's luck.
- She won the card game on her first try, and everyone said it was just beginner's luck.
- I think it was just beginner's luck that he scored so well.
- Don't let your beginner's luck fool you; this game gets much harder.
- He scored a goal in his first match, but it was probably beginner's luck.