começar a + Infinitive

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Level 2

The construction começar a + infinitivo is the standard way to say 'to start doing something' in Portuguese. It marks the beginning of a process or action.

How It Works

The structure começar a + infinitivo is an aspectual construction that focuses on the inception of an action.

1. The Preposition 'a':
In standard Portuguese, the preposition a is mandatory when connecting começar to another verb. Omitting it (e.g., comecei estudar) is a common learner error.

2. Spelling Changes:
The verb começar undergoes a regular orthographic change to keep the soft 's' sound (the cedilla ç). This shift from ç to c occurs whenever the ending starts with -e or -i:

  • Use ç before a, o, u: Eu começo, Ele começa.
  • Use c before e, i: This happens in the Pretérito Perfeito (Eu comecei), but also in the Present Subjunctive and Imperative (Que eu comece, Comece você).

3. Regional Variations:
While começar a + infinitive is universal, the gerund (começar fazendo) is very common throughout Brazil. However, the 'a + infinitive' form remains the safest and most widely accepted choice for learners in both Brazil and Portugal.

4. Nuance vs. 'Começar por':
Be careful not to confuse this with começar por, which indicates the first step in a sequence of different actions (e.g., 'He started by saying...').

Examples (5)

  1. O bebé começou a andar ontem.

    The baby started walking yesterday.

    Word by Word: The baby started to walk yesterday.

    Here, 'começou' is in the pretérito perfeito to show a completed start in the past.

  2. Eu comecei a ler este livro na semana passada.

    I started reading this book last week.

    Word by Word: I started to read this book in the week past.

    Note the spelling 'comecei' (with a 'c') because it precedes the letter 'e'.

  3. Quando o filme começou a ficar interessante, a luz acabou.

    When the movie started to get interesting, the power went out.

    Word by Word: When the movie started to stay interesting, the light ended.

    This shows the start of a state (getting interesting) using the verb ficar.

  4. Nós começamos a estudar português juntos.

    We started studying Portuguese together.

    Word by Word: We started to study Portuguese together.

    A simple application using the first-person plural form of 'começar'.

  5. Ela começa a trabalhar às nove horas.

    She starts working at nine o'clock.

    Word by Word: She starts to work at the nine hours.

    Used in the present tense to describe a habitual start time.

Common Mistakes

  • Omitting the preposition 'a'.

    Eu comecei estudar ontem.
    Eu comecei a estudar ontem.

    Unlike English, where you can say 'started studying,' Portuguese requires the preposition 'a' between 'começar' and the infinitive.

  • Spelling 'comecei' with a cedilla (ç).

    Eu começei a trabalhar.
    Eu comecei a trabalhar.

    The cedilla (ç) is never used before the letters 'e' or 'i' in Portuguese because the letter 'c' already makes the soft 's' sound in those positions.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

começar a + InfinitiveLevel 2Start Doing

Learn This First

To use 'começar a + infinitivo', you need to know how to conjugate the verb 'começar' (a regular -ar verb) and understand how to link it to a second action (the infinitive) using the preposition 'a'.

Words in This Pattern

começar