No começo de fevereiro, minha irmã faz a matrícula da filha na escola.

No is a contraction of em + o.

• em = in / at
• o = the

So:

• no começo = in the beginning / at the beginning

This kind of contraction is very common in Portuguese:

• em + o = no
• em + a = na
• de + a = da
• de + o = do

You also see another contraction later in the sentence: na escola = em + a escola.

These two expressions mean different things.

• em fevereiro = in February
• no começo de fevereiro = at the beginning of February

The sentence is more specific than just saying in February. It places the action in the early part of the month.

So:

• Em fevereiro = sometime during February
• No começo de fevereiro = specifically near the start of February

Because month names usually appear without an article in Portuguese in this type of expression.

So you say:

• o começo de fevereiro
• o fim de janeiro
• meados de março

Not normally:

• o começo do fevereiro

In other words, fevereiro here works like a bare month name: beginning of February.

Yes. No início de fevereiro is very natural and means almost the same thing.

• no começo de fevereiro = at the beginning of February
• no início de fevereiro = at the beginning/start of February

In everyday Brazilian Portuguese, both are common. Início can sound a little more formal or neutral, while começo is very common in speech.

Because that opening time expression is being set off from the main clause.

The basic sentence is:

• Minha irmã faz a matrícula da filha na escola.

Adding No começo de fevereiro at the front gives time context, and the comma helps separate that introductory phrase.

In Portuguese, this comma is very normal when a longer adverbial phrase comes first. You may sometimes see similar phrases without a comma, especially in less careful writing, but the comma here is standard and clear.

Both are possible in Brazilian Portuguese.

With possessives, Portuguese often allows either:

• minha irmã
• a minha irmã

Both mean my sister.

In Brazilian Portuguese, dropping the article before a possessive is very common, especially in neutral everyday sentences. Using the article can sound a bit more specific or just reflect personal/regional style.

So this sentence could also be:

• No começo de fevereiro, a minha irmã faz a matrícula da filha na escola.

That would still be correct.

Portuguese often uses the present tense in places where English might prefer a future form, especially when the time is already clear from context.

Here, No começo de fevereiro gives the time reference, so faz can mean something like:

• a planned future action
• a habitual/repeated action
• a narrative present

Depending on context, the sentence could mean:

• she will enroll her daughter at the beginning of February
• she usually enrolls her daughter at the beginning of February

Portuguese relies a lot on context for this. If someone wanted to make the future more explicit, they could say:

• vai fazer a matrícula

But faz is completely natural.

Fazer a matrícula is a fixed expression that means to enroll someone, to register someone, or to complete school enrollment/registration.

The noun matrícula means something like:

• enrollment
• registration
• school registration

So literally, fazer a matrícula da filha na escola is to do the daughter’s enrollment at the school, but in natural English you would usually say:

• enroll her daughter in school
• register her daughter at the school

This is a very common school-related expression in Portuguese.

Portuguese often uses a verb + noun expression where English may prefer one simple verb.

Here:

• fazer a matrícula = to complete the enrollment / to register

There is also a direct verb:

• matricular

So a similar sentence could be:

• No começo de fevereiro, minha irmã matricula a filha na escola.

That is also correct.
The version with fazer a matrícula is very common and can sound a bit more administrative or process-focused.

Because Portuguese often uses definite articles in places where English might not.

In English, we often say just enrollment or registration without an article. Portuguese commonly says:

• fazer a matrícula
• assinar o contrato
• tomar a decisão

So a matrícula is not unusual at all. It refers to the specific enrollment/registration being done.

Da is a contraction of de + a.

• de = of
• a = the

So da filha literally means of the daughter.

In this sentence, it expresses whose enrollment is being done:

• a matrícula da filha = the daughter’s enrollment

This structure is very common in Portuguese. Instead of using an apostrophe like English does, Portuguese usually uses de:

• o carro do meu irmão = my brother’s car
• a matrícula da filha = the daughter’s enrollment

Because da filha is a clear and natural way to show possession.

You could also hear:

• da sua filha

But sua can sometimes be ambiguous in Portuguese, because it may refer to his, her, your, or even their, depending on context.

Using da filha avoids that ambiguity and sounds very natural when the owner is already obvious from the sentence: minha irmã.

So:

• a matrícula da filha = clear and natural
• a matrícula da sua filha = also possible, but not necessary here

Yes, in this sentence that is the natural interpretation.

Because the subject is minha irmã, the phrase a matrícula da filha is normally understood as the enrollment of her daughter.

Could filha theoretically refer to some other daughter already known in the conversation? In a different context, yes. But by default, readers will understand it as the sister’s daughter.

Because na escola means in/at the school, while à escola usually expresses movement to the school.

Here the sentence is talking about where the enrollment happens:

• na escola = at the school / in the school

If you said à escola, it would suggest direction, as in going to the school, not doing the registration there.

Compare:

• Ela vai à escola. = She goes to school / to the school.
• Ela faz a matrícula na escola. = She does the enrollment at the school.

So na escola is the correct choice for location.

Yes. Portuguese is fairly flexible with word order, especially for time expressions.

The sentence could also be:

• Minha irmã faz a matrícula da filha na escola no começo de fevereiro.

That is still correct.

Starting with No começo de fevereiro puts the time frame first, which is a very natural way to organize the sentence. It gives the listener the time context immediately.

The accent shows the stressed syllable and helps distinguish the noun form.

• matrícula is stressed on trí: ma-TRÍ-cu-la

This is the noun meaning enrollment/registration.

There is also the verb matricula:

• Ela matricula a filha na escola.
• matricula = enrolls

So the accent matters:

• matrícula = noun
• matricula = verb form

This is a useful distinction to notice as a learner.