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Questions & Answers about Eu vou começar a estudar português agora.
Why do we say eu vou instead of just vou?
The subject pronoun eu (“I”) is optional in Portuguese because verb endings already indicate the person. Saying vou alone is understood as “I go” or “I’m going.” Adding eu can add emphasis or clarity. Both Eu vou começar a estudar… and Vou começar a estudar… are perfectly correct.
What is the role of vou começar? Is it the simple future?
Vou começar uses the periphrastic future (the verb ir in the present tense + infinitive) to express a near-future action, much like English “I’m going to start.” The simple future começarei exists but sounds more formal or literary. In everyday speech, Brazilians overwhelmingly choose vou começar.
Why is there an a before estudar in começar a estudar?
In Portuguese, certain verbs of beginning or continuation (like começar, continuar, ajudar) require the preposition a when followed by another verb in the infinitive. The pattern começar a + infinitivo means “to start doing something.” Omitting a would make the phrase ungrammatical.
Can I use agora elsewhere in the sentence?
Yes. Agora (“now”) can appear before or after the verb group without changing the core meaning:
• Eu agora vou começar a estudar português.
• Eu vou começar a estudar português agora.
Choosing one or the other shifts the emphasis; placing agora at the front highlights the timing more strongly.
Why is português not capitalized in Portuguese?
In Portuguese orthography, names of languages are written in lowercase: português, inglês, espanhol. This differs from English, where we capitalize language names.
What’s the difference between Eu vou começar a estudar and Eu estou começando a estudar?
• Eu vou começar a estudar… conveys an intention or plan to begin soon (“I’m going to start studying…”).
• Eu estou começando a estudar… indicates the action is already in progress (“I’m starting to study…”).
Use the first for future plans and the second for ongoing actions.
Could I use the simple present começo instead of vou começar?
You can say Eu começo a estudar português agora, but it sounds less natural for a one-time future plan. In Brazilian Portuguese, vou começar is the preferred way to talk about an imminent action. The simple present começo often describes habitual or repeated events (“I start my study sessions at 7 AM every day”).
Is the preposition a always required after começar?
Yes, when começar is followed by a verb in the infinitive, you need a: começar a falar, começar a ler, começar a estudar. If começar is followed by a noun, no preposition is used: começar um livro, começar o trabalho.
How would this sentence sound in spoken Brazilian Portuguese?
In casual speech you might drop eu and reduce the preposition a bit:
“Vou começar estudar português agora.”
Speed and intonation vary by region, but the structure remains clear. You’ll often hear linking between vou and começar: “Vou-començar…” without a strong pause.
