Eu começo a estudar música amanhã.

I start to study music tomorrow.

Breakdown of Eu começo a estudar música amanhã.

• eu: I
• estudar: to study
• amanhã: tomorrow
• a música: the music
• começar a: to start

Questions & Answers about Eu começo a estudar música amanhã.

Why is the verb começar followed by a plus an infinitive?

In European Portuguese, começar (to begin) is normally constructed with the preposition a before another verb in the infinitive. This pattern—começar a + infinitive—signals that you’re starting to do something. Without a, the sentence would be ungrammatical.

---

Can I say vou começar a estudar música amanhã or começarei a estudar música amanhã instead? What’s the difference?

Yes. Portuguese offers three common ways to express a near future:

• Present + adverb: “Eu começo a estudar música amanhã.” (very natural in European Portuguese for planned actions)
• Periphrastic future: “Eu vou começar a estudar música amanhã.”
• Simple future: “Eu começarei a estudar música amanhã.”

Differences in nuance:
• The present + adverb is the most colloquial for tomorrow’s plans.
• “Vou começar” is clear and slightly more neutral.
• “Começarei” is more formal or literary.

---

Do I have to include the subject pronoun eu at the start?

No—Portuguese verbs carry clear endings that mark the subject. The -o ending in começo already tells you it’s first person singular. You can drop eu unless you want emphasis:
• Emphatic: Eu começo a estudar música amanhã.
• Neutral: Começo a estudar música amanhã.

---

Why is música singular here? Could I say músicas?

When you study music in general (the discipline), you use the uncountable, singular form música. If you meant “pieces of music” or “individual songs,” you could use músicas. For example:
• “Vou aprender várias músicas de jazz.”

---

Can I move amanhã to the front of the sentence?

Absolutely. Portuguese word order is flexible:
• Default: Eu começo a estudar música amanhã.
• Emphatic time first: Amanhã começo a estudar música.
Both mean the same; placing amanhã up front highlights “tomorrow.”

---

Is there any nuance in using the present tense (começo) for a future action?

In European Portuguese, the present tense with a future time marker is very common for near-future events. It feels immediate and decided. Native speakers often prefer “presente + advérbio de tempo” over the simple future for everyday plans.