Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| começar | /ko.meˈsa(ʁ)/ (Brazil) /ko.meˈsa(ɾ)/ (São Paulo) |
|
| iniciar | /i.ni.siˈa(ʁ)/ (Brazil) /i.niˈsja(ʁ)/ (Brazil) |
|
| estartar | /is.taʁˈta(ʁ)/ (Brazil) /es.taʁˈta(ʁ)/ (Brazil) |
Brazil |
The verb is used to express the act of beginning an activity. Related nouns for the beginning of an activity include começo, início and princípio.
Which one should you use?
While começar is the most common way to say to start, iniciar is a more formal alternative often used in professional or technical contexts. If you are referring specifically to the starting signal or the beginning point of a race, use largada or partida instead of the general nouns for beginning.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, the colloquialism estartar is used, which is derived from the English word 'start'. It is often found in informal or technical contexts such as starting an engine or a process. Additionally, in Brazilian Portuguese, specifically regarding sports, the expression bater o pontapé inicial is used to describe the moment a game or match commences.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun form of the verb começar is começo.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of começar is /ko.meˈsa(ʁ)/. It has 3 syllables, and the stress is on the 3rd syllable.
When do people say it?
To express starting something in a positive and optimistic manner, you can use the playful informal phrase Começar com pé direito, which means to start on the right foot.
Did you know?
- The verb começar actually lost its original 'n' sound over time through a process of linguistic analogy with the verb empezar, which is similar to the Spanish version.
- In Portuguese, the expression começar com o pé direito implies that starting with the 'left foot' is an omen of bad luck.
- The word partida can mean 'the start' of a race, but in other contexts, it is the most common word for 'departure' or 'leaving'.
Examples in context
- Não sei onde começar.I don't know where to start.This sentence shows how to use começar when expressing uncertainty about a starting point.Tatoeba #1571280 by alexmarcelo, translation #1567440 by CK
- Você terá de começar.You'll have to start.This sentence uses começar to express necessity.Tatoeba #1669361 by alexmarcelo, translation #1667927 by fanty
- Sei por onde começar.I know where to start.This sentence uses começar to indicate knowing a starting point.Tatoeba #6853508 by weyung, translation #2376456 by CK
- Vamos começar a reuniãoLet's start the meeting.
- O professor vai iniciar a palestraThe professor will start the lecture.
- Precisamos dar início ao projetoWe need to start the project.
- Vamos começar a festa!Let's start the party!
- Vamos começar o dia com o pé direito!Let's start the day on the right foot!
- Quando você bate o pontapé inicial?When do you start the game?
- 287 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Juliana and Gabriel are about to start a movie.
- JulianaPodemos começar o filme agora?Can we start the movie now?
- GabrielEspere um pouco, Gabriel quer pipoca.Wait a bit, Gabriel wants popcorn.
- JulianaTudo bem, vou começar a preparar a pipoca.Alright, I will start preparing the popcorn.
- GabrielObrigado, Juliana! Agora podemos começar.Thank you, Juliana! Now we can start.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “start” translations and entries começar, iniciar, estartar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries começar, estartar, iniciar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
