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BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE VERB

começar

to start

  • #24 most used
  • Regular -ar verb
  • Gerund: começando
  • Past participle: começado

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Presente · now, habits and facts

  1. eu I start
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente you start
  3. nós we start
  4. vocês, eles, elas you all start

Past

Pretérito Perfeito · finished actions

  1. eu I started
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente you started
  3. nós we started
  4. vocês, eles, elas you all started

Future

Futuro com ir · plans: “going to”

  1. eu I am going to start
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente you are going to start
  3. nós we are going to start
  4. vocês, eles, elas you all are going to start

Imperfect

Pretérito Imperfeito · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. eu I used to start
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente you used to start
  3. nós we used to start
  4. vocês, eles, elas you all used to start

Conditional

Futuro do Pretérito · “would”

  1. eu I would start
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente you would start
  3. nós we would start
  4. vocês, eles, elas you all would start

Present subjunctive

Presente do Subjuntivo · wishes, doubts, “que …”

  1. eu (that) I start
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente (that) you start
  3. nós (that) we start
  4. vocês, eles, elas (that) you all start

Past subjunctive

Imperfeito do Subjuntivo · “if I were”, “se …”

  1. eu (if) I started
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente (if) you started
  3. nós (if) we started
  4. vocês, eles, elas (if) you all started

Future subjunctive

Futuro do Subjuntivo · “when” and “if” about the future

  1. eu (when) I start
  2. você, ele, ela, a gente (when) you start
  3. nós (when) we start
  4. vocês, eles, elas (when) you all start

Imperative

Imperativo · requests and orders

  1. você start!
  2. vocês start! (all of you)

How to use começar

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    A aula começa às oito em ponto.

    Class starts at eight sharp.

  2. Past

    Eu comecei a trabalhar lá em março.

    I started working there in March.

  3. Future

    O filme vai começar em cinco minutos.

    The movie is going to start in five minutes.

  4. Imperfect

    O show sempre começava atrasado.

    The show always started late.

  5. Conditional

    Eu começaria pela cozinha, é a parte mais suja.

    I'd start with the kitchen, it's the dirtiest part.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Vamos entrar antes que o jogo comece.

    Let's go in before the game starts.

  7. Past subjunctive

    Se começasse a chover, a gente voltaria.

    If it started raining, we'd go back.

  8. Future subjunctive

    Quando a reunião começar, desliga o celular.

    When the meeting starts, turn off your phone.

  9. Imperative

    Comece sem mim, eu chego em dez minutos.

    Start without me, I'll be there in ten minutes.

Good to know

  • "Começar a" goes before a verb: começou a chover.

Where you hear começar

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

Brazilian Portuguese · Beginner Level 1

  • O jogo começa às oito. The game starts at eight.
  • O filme começou. The film started.
  • A festa vai começar. The party is about to start.

Brazilian Portuguese · Beginner Level 2

  • A reunião começa às dez. The meeting starts at ten.
  • O jogo já começou. The game has already started.
  • Você vai começar na segunda-feira. You're going to start on Monday.
22
Who's Going to Win?

Beginner Level 1 · começar

Needs a subscription 11
The First Day at the Office

Beginner Level 2 · começa · eu começo

Needs a subscription 8
Nobody Had Thought of That

Intermediate Level 1 · começado

Needs a subscription 16
Before the Ceremony Starts

Intermediate Level 1 · comece

Needs a subscription 28
Every Five Minutes

Intermediate Level 3 · começou

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Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: regular -ar verb.