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A aula começa ao meio-dia.

A aula começa ao meio-dia.
The class starts at noon.
From Lesson 26:Asking about time (quando, a que horas)·Portuguese (Portugal)

Questions & Answers about A aula começa ao meio-dia.

How would I ask "At what time does the class start?" based on this sentence?
You would ask A que horas começa a aula?. Because we are asking for a specific time on the clock, we use a que horas (at what time) instead of the broader word quando (when).
Why does the sentence use ao instead of just a before meio-dia?
In Portuguese, telling time usually requires the word for "the". The preposition a (at) combines with the masculine word o (the) to make ao. You are literally saying "at the midday".
Is aula the only word for "class"?
It is the best word for a lesson or a period of instruction, which fits this sentence perfectly. You might also see the word classe, but that usually refers to the group of students themselves, not the scheduled event.
What is the dictionary form of começa?
The dictionary form (infinitive) is começar (to start or to begin). It is conjugated as começa here because a aula (the class) acts as a singular "it".

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