commence school

[kəˈmens skuːl]
verb phrase
começar a escola / iniciar a escola
1. to begin attending school for the first time or to start a new school year or term
Children commence school at age five in most countries.
As crianças começam a escola aos cinco anos na maioria dos países.
2. to formally start the academic year or educational term
The school will commence school on September 1st.
A escola iniciará o ano letivo em 1º de setembro.
In Brazil, the school year typically begins in February and ends in December. In the USA, it generally begins in August or September. 'Commence school' is formal and more commonly used in official or written contexts; in everyday speech, 'start school' or 'begin school' are preferred in both English-speaking and Portuguese-speaking communities.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
start schoolbegin schoolenter schoolenroll in schoolbegin one's education
Antonyms / Antônimos
finish schoolleave schooldrop out of schoolend school term

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
começar a escola / iniciar a escola
Most common expressions used throughout Brazil
Rio de Janeiro
entrar na escola / começar a escola
Both expressions are commonly used
São Paulo
começar a escola / iniciar o ano letivo
Formal contexts often use 'iniciar o ano letivo'
Portugal
começar a escola / iniciar a escola
Similar usage to Brazilian Portuguese, though 'começar' is more prevalent

Related Words

school yearacademic termfirst day of schoolenrollmenteducationcurriculum

Related Idioms & Phrases

back to school
hit the books
start a new chapter
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