German Phrase
Am besten ist es, am Anfang dabei zu sein.
Meaning
Literally, ‘The best is it, to be there at the beginning.’ In natural English it means ‘It’s best to be involved from the start.’ The phrase stresses that early participation gives the greatest advantage.
When to use
Use this sentence when you want to advise someone to join a project, a class, a club, or any activity as early as possible. It’s common in business meetings, school settings, and informal conversations about hobbies.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Ambestenistes,amAnfangdabeizusein.
Am besten (Superlative adverb)
‘Am besten’ is the superlative form of ‘gut’ used adverbially to mean ‘best’. It often appears at the beginning of a clause.
Verb‑subject inversion (ist es)
In German, the verb can precede the subject for emphasis or after a fronted element, as seen in ‘ist es’.
Prepositional phrase ‘am Anfang’
‘am’ = ‘an dem’; together with ‘Anfang’ it means ‘at the beginning’ or ‘in the beginning’.
Infinitive clause with ‘zu’
‘dabei zu sein’ is an infinitive construction that functions as the logical subject of the sentence.
🗨In Conversation
Ich überlege, ob ich mich noch für den Kurs anmelden soll.
I'm wondering whether I should still sign up for the course.
Am besten ist es, am Anfang dabei zu sein.
It's best to be there from the beginning.
✕Common Mistakes
Am besten ist es am Anfang dabei zu sein.
Missing comma after ‘es’ makes the infinitive clause harder to parse; German punctuation requires a comma before an infinitive clause with ‘zu’.
Am besten ist es, am Anfang dabei sein.
The infinitive ‘sein’ must be preceded by ‘zu’ when it functions as a noun‑like clause.
Am besten ist es, am Anfang dabei zu haben.
‘zu haben’ changes the meaning to ‘to have it’ instead of ‘to be there’. Use ‘zu sein’ for presence.
↔Alternatives
Es ist am besten, von Anfang an dabei zu sein.
It is best to be involved from the start.
Am vorteilhaftesten ist es, gleich zu Beginn mitzumachen.
The most advantageous thing is to join right at the beginning.
Man sollte am liebsten gleich am Anfang mitmachen.
One should preferably start right at the beginning.
Cultural Tip
In German‑speaking cultures, early involvement is often linked to reliability and commitment. Saying ‘am Anfang dabei zu sein’ signals that you are proactive and serious about the project. In formal business contexts, the phrase can be used to encourage team members to attend kickoff meetings, while in casual settings it’s a friendly nudge to join a hobby group early.