Introduction

Começar means “to begin”, and this page covers exactly one thing: começar in the present tense. The present is the tense Portuguese speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for começar, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the pretérito perfeito, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about começar in the present. It means to begin and to start, and it is completely regular in the verified tables: começo, começas, começa, começamos, começais, começam. It is the twin of iniciar, which means the same thing. For example: “Ele começa o trabalho todos os dias.” — “He begins the work.” Everything on this page uses the forms of começar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Começar in the Present — full table

Person Form
eu começo
tu começas
ele/ela começa
nós começamos
vós começais
eles/elas começam
Gerund: começando · Past participle: começado
The gerund is começando, which you use with estar to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “Começando o trabalho, aprendo muito.” — “While beginning the work, I learn a lot.” The past participle is começado, which you use with ter in the perfect tenses: tenho começado is the pretérito perfeito composto, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how começar is used.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for começar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the present of começar is formed

The present tense of começar has six forms: eu começo, tu começas, ele começa, nós começamos, vós começais, eles começam. Say them in order — eu, tu, ele, nós, vós, eles — and notice which forms share a stem and which do not. começar is regular: every form follows the standard -ar endings — -o, -as, -a, -amos, -ais, -am for -ar verbs; -o, -es, -e, -emos, -eis, -em for -er verbs; and -o, -es, -e, -imos, -is, -em for -ir verbs — so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem. There are no surprises in any tense — the tables below are exactly what the endings predict. The present is the tense you will use most, so learn these six forms before you learn any other tense of this verb.

Two things about the present of começar are worth noticing. First, the nós and vós forms are the anchor of the verb: the imperfect is built from the same stem, and the present subjunctive takes its nós and vós forms from the same stem, so learning começamos and começais pays off in three tenses at once. Second, the present is the tense Portuguese uses where English would often use the continuous form, so começo can mean both “I begin” and “I am beginning” — context tells the listener which one you mean.

Because começar is regular in the present, the six forms follow the standard -ar endings exactly. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you know it for all of them — only the stem changes. That is why the present of a regular verb is the cheapest tense to learn in the whole language.

When to use the present of começar

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use começar in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Habits and routines

The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and começar is no exception. Use time expressions such as todos os dias, sempre or todas as semanas to make the routine explicit. Example: “Eu começo o trabalho todos os dias.” — “I begin the work.”

2. General truths

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about começar does not need a time expression, because it is true whenever you say it. Example: “Ele começa o trabalho todos os dias.” — “He begins the work.”

3. What is happening right now

The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. Portuguese often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with começar in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Nós começamos o trabalho todos os dias.” — “We begin the work.”

4. Scheduled future events

Portuguese uses the present for something already fixed in the near future, especially with a time expression. It sounds more certain than the future tense, because the plan is already made. Example: “Tu começas o trabalho todos os dias.” — “You begin the work.”

5. Narration and commentary

In stories, instructions and live commentary, the present brings the action into the room. A recipe, a game or a story told in the present feels immediate, and começar in the present is the tense that carries it. Example: “Eles começam o trabalho todos os dias.” — “They begin the work.”

Present Tense vs Pretérito Perfeito: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the pretérito perfeito, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the pretérito perfeito describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as todos os dias or sempre, while the pretérito perfeito sentences use ontem or na semana passada. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.

  • Present Tense: “Ele começa o trabalho todos os dias.” — “He begins the work”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Ele começou o trabalho ontem.” — “He began the work”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the pretérito perfeito sentence is one finished event. Todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.
  • Present Tense: “Eu começo o trabalho todos os dias.” — “I begin the work”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Eu comecei o trabalho ontem.” — “I began the work”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the pretérito perfeito sentence is one finished event. Todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.
  • Present Tense: “Tu começas o trabalho todos os dias.” — “You begin the work”
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Tu começaste o trabalho ontem.” — “You began the work”
  • The present sentence is a routine or a general truth; the pretérito perfeito sentence is one finished event. Todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.

Example sentences: começar in the present

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions and the objects — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Eu começo o trabalho todos os dias.” — “I begin the work”
  2. “Tu começas o trabalho todos os dias.” — “You begin the work”
  3. “Ele começa o trabalho todos os dias.” — “He begins the work”
  4. “Nós começamos o trabalho todos os dias.” — “We begin the work”
  5. “Vós começais o trabalho todos os dias.” — “You begin the work”
  6. “Eles começam o trabalho todos os dias.” — “They begin the work”
  7. “Eu começo o trabalho todos os dias.” — “I begin the work”
  8. “Ele começa o trabalho todos os dias.” — “He begins the work”

Common mistakes

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Eu começas o trabalho.” Right: “Eu começo o trabalho todos os dias.” Why: The eu form is começo, not começas. começas is the tu form. Mixing the two persons is the most common error with this verb.
  • Wrong: “Nós começo o trabalho.” Right: “Nós começamos o trabalho todos os dias.” Why: Nós needs the nós form começamos. começo belongs with eu only. Learn the six forms as two groups — singular and plural — and the pattern becomes automatic.
  • Wrong: “Eu começo o trabalho todos os dias ontem.” Right: “Eu comecei o trabalho ontem.” Why: Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito comecei for a finished action yesterday.
  • Wrong: “Eu começar o trabalho.” Right: “Eu começo o trabalho todos os dias.” Why: The infinitive começar never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated form começo.

Quiz: test yourself

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

  1. What is the eu form of começar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) começas
    • B) começo
    • C) começa
    • D) começamos

  2. What is the tu form of começar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) começo
    • B) começa
    • C) começas
    • D) começamos

  3. What is the ele/ela form of começar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) começo
    • B) começas
    • C) começamos
    • D) começa

  4. What is the nós form of começar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) começamos
    • B) começo
    • C) começas
    • D) começa

  5. What is the vós form of começar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) começo
    • B) começais
    • C) começas
    • D) começa

  6. What is the eles/elas form of começar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) começo
    • B) começas
    • C) começam
    • D) começa

  7. What is the eu form of começar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) começas
    • B) começa
    • C) começamos
    • D) começo

  8. What is the tu form of começar in the Present indicative (presente)?

    • A) começas
    • B) começo
    • C) começa
    • D) começamos

Answer key

  1. B) começo — the correct form is começo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. C) começas — the correct form is começas. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) começa — the correct form is começa. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. A) começamos — the correct form is começamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) começais — the correct form is começais. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. C) começam — the correct form is começam. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. D) começo — the correct form is começo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) começas — the correct form is começas. The other options are other forms of the same verb.

Frequently asked questions

What does começar mean in English?

começar means “to begin”. It is a regular -ar verb.

How is the present tense of começar formed?

The six present forms are: eu começo, tu começas, ele começa, nós começamos, vós começais, eles começam. começar is regular: every form follows the standard -ar endings, so once you know the pattern you can build every tense from the stem.

When do I use the present instead of the pretérito perfeito?

Use the present for habits, general truths and what is happening now. Use the pretérito perfeito for one finished action in the past. The time words are your best clue: todos os dias points to the present, ontem points to the pretérito perfeito.

What are the gerund and past participle of começar?

The gerund is começando and the past participle is começado.

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