commenced work

[/kəˈmɛnst wɜrk/]
verb phrase
iniciou o trabalho
1. to begin or start work; to start employment or a job
She commenced work at the new company last Monday.
Ela iniciou o trabalho na nova empresa na semana passada.
2. to start performing duties or responsibilities in a professional capacity
The construction crew commenced work on the building project.
A equipe de construção iniciou o trabalho no projeto do edifício.
3. to begin a shift or workday
Workers commenced work at 8:00 AM sharp.
Os trabalhadores iniciaram o trabalho às 8:00 da manhã em ponto.
This is formal, professional language commonly used in business contexts, employment contracts, and official documentation in both American and Brazilian Portuguese-speaking environments. The verb 'commenced' is more formal and legal than 'started,' making it frequent in HR documents and official reports.
NYC Slang
started the gig / got to work
Synonyms / Sinônimos
started workbegan workundertook workstarted employmenttook up work
Antonyms / Antônimos
finished workcompleted workended workstopped workceased work

Regional Variations

General Brazilian Portuguese
iniciou o trabalho
most common and formal usage
Rio de Janeiro
começou a trabalhar
more colloquial variant
São Paulo
iniciou o trabalho / começou a trabalhar
both formal and informal are used
Portugal
iniciou o trabalho / começou a trabalhar
similar usage to Brazil, though 'começar' is more common in everyday speech

Related Words

commencedcommenced dutiesworkemploymentjobstarted

Related Idioms & Phrases

commenced work in earnest
commenced work on schedule
commenced work under new management
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