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начинал

was beginning, started

n ə t͡ɕ ɪ n a ɫ → начинать
начин to begin, to start + а form verbs meaning “perform an action” + л Masculine past tense
verb · singular masculine, past tense Rare #36,985
was beginning, started Masculine singular past form; the past tense agrees with the subject in gender and number.
RU: Он начинал работать рано.
EN: He started working early.
Conjugation of начинать
Indicative past
начиналначиналаначинали

Том сказал мне, чтобы я сразу начинал.

Tom told me to get started right away.

Он только начинал казаться красивым.

He was just beginning to seem handsome.

— Солнечные понедельники (2002)

Когда я читал газеты, я начинал фантазировать.

When I read newspapers, I would start daydreaming.

— Воспоминания об убийстве (2003)

Я начинал терять надежду.

I was starting to lose hope.

Том начинал хотеть есть.

Tom was starting to feel hungry.

Sounds similar to

начинать n ə t͡ɕ ɪ n a tʲ начинай n ə t͡ɕ ɪ n a j ночевал n ə t͡ɕ ɪ v a ɫ