inició

Inicié is the first-person singular form of the Spanish verb iniciar in the preterite tense, meaning "I started" or "I began." It is used to describe the beginning of an action or process in the past.

Etymology and related forms: Iniciar comes from the Latin root initiare, derived from initium, meaning beginning. The verb follows the regular -ar conjugation pattern in the preterite. Its forms include inicié (yo), iniciaste (tú), inició (él/ella/usted), iniciamos (nosotros), iniciasteis (vosotros), iniciaron (ellos/ellas/ustedes).

Grammar notes: In preterite, inicié is accented on the final syllable to indicate the first-person past tense, and inició has an accent on the last syllable to mark the third-person singular form. Other forms do not carry diacritics beyond the usual pronoun and verb endings. Iniciar is transitive and commonly takes a direct object, such as un proyecto, un curso, or un proceso. The infinitive is iniciar, and its reflexive form is iniciarse when referring to starting oneself on a path or process.

Usage and nuances: Iniciar tends to be more formal or technical than synonyms like empezar or comenzar, especially in professional, academic, or administrative contexts. It often conveys the formal act of beginning a plan, operation, or initiative. In everyday speech, starters like empecé or comencé are frequent, depending on regional preferences.

Examples:

- Ayer inicié un nuevo proyecto en la empresa. (Yesterday I started a new project at the company.)

- Inicié el curso en línea la semana pasada. (I started the online course last week.)

- Después de evaluar el plan, inicié las conversaciones con los stakeholders.