This is the 166th most frequent Portuguese word.
começou
"Começou" means "started" or "began" in English.
Here, 'começou' describes the inception of a sequence of events, setting the stage for what follows in the narrative.
Tudo começou quando ela encontrou um mapa misterioso.
Everything began when she found a mysterious map.
In this sentence, 'começou' is used as the past tense of 'começar,' meaning 'to start,' indicating the initiation of the activity 'studying' in the past.
Ele começou a estudar mais cedo este ano.
He started studying earlier this year.
In this example, 'começou' is employed to describe the starting point of an event, specifically a musical performance within the play.