X 是这样开始的
The narrative opener. Reach for this when you're about to tell a story and want to flag that the beginning is the part worth paying attention to — 'X started like this.' Common in journalism, true crime, and explainer writing, where the writer is teasing the origin of a chain of events. The 这样 ('like this / in this way') points forward to the explanation that follows; the next sentence or paragraph then delivers it. It signals 'buckle in, here's how it began.'
Structure
[X] 是这样开始的。
... shì zhèyàng kāishǐ de.
How to Think About It
这样 is a forward-pointing pronoun: 'like this — and now I'll tell you exactly what this means.' The 是...的 frame around it presents the origin as established fact, not speculation. This pattern is almost always followed immediately by the actual origin story. If you say it and don't deliver the goods, the listener feels cheated — it's a promise that the explanation is coming next.
Examples
故事是这样开始的。
Gùshi shì zhèyàng kāishǐ de.
The story began like this.
这家公司是这样开始的：两个人，一间小办公室。
Zhè jiā gōngsī shì zhèyàng kāishǐ de: liǎng gè rén, yī jiān xiǎo bàngōngshì.
This company started like this: two people, one small office.
他们的友情是这样开始的。
Tāmen de yǒuqíng shì zhèyàng kāishǐ de.
Their friendship started like this.
Common Mistake
Learners replace 这样 with 那样 because both can mean 'like that.' 这样 points to something the speaker is about to say (here); 那样 points to something already said or distant. For an opener, you want 这样 — the story is in front of you, not behind.
故事是那样开始的。
故事是这样开始的。
Don't Confuse With
X 是这样的
Same flavor but no 开始. 'X is like this' — a generic 'let me explain' opener for any kind of situation, not just origins. Use 是这样的 to introduce a setup; use 是这样开始的 specifically for the beginning of a story.
从...开始
'Starting from X' — names the starting point itself. Use 从...开始 when you want to anchor the start in time or place ('从那一天开始'); use 是这样开始的 when you're about to narrate HOW it began.
一切要从...说起
'It all began with...' — more literary, traditional storytelling. Use in essays and reflective pieces; use 是这样开始的 for tighter journalistic openings.
Practice
Fill in: 故事是___开始的。
Show answer
这样
Fill in: 这家公司是这样开始___。
Show answer
的
Arrange: 是 / 开始 / 故事 / 的 / 这样
Show answer
故事是这样开始的。
Translate: It all began like this.
Show answer
一切是这样开始的。
Write an opening sentence for a story using X 是这样开始的.
Show answer
我和她的故事是这样开始的。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: