This is the 597th most frequent Italian word.
iniziare
"To start" or "to begin."
Here, 'iniziare' is used in the context of marking the commencement of a period or event.
L'anno scolastico inizia a settembre.
The school year begins in September.
In this sentence, 'iniziare' is employed to describe the act of commencing a personal activity or endeavor.
Ho iniziato un corso di pittura la settimana scorsa.
I started a painting course last week.
Here, 'iniziare' is used to ask about the commencement of an individual action or task, expressed as a question.