começar
to begin, to start
Beginner Verb
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Pronunciation
/kumeˈsaɾ/
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Cultural Note
Note the spelling change: 'comecei' (not 'começei') — the cedilla is dropped before 'e' or 'i' because 'c' is already soft before those vowels. 'Começar a' + infinitive is the standard construction: 'Comecei a correr' (I started running).
📝 Example Sentences
O filme começa às nove.
The movie starts at nine.
Comecei a aprender português há dois meses.
I started learning Portuguese two months ago.
Vamos começar de novo.
Let's start over.