Start In Spanish Empezar

When you want to say “to start” in Spanish, empezar is the verb you’ll reach for in conversation — it changes its stem from e to ie (like yo empiezo) and pairs with a plus an infinitive to describe beginning an action.

If you learned that empezar and comenzar both mean “to start,” you were told the truth — but only half of it. They share that core meaning, but picking the wrong one can make you sound like you walked out of a 19th-century novel rather than a normal conversation. Most Spanish textbooks introduce both early, then leave you wondering which to use when ordering coffee or chatting with friends.

The honest answer is simpler than you think. In everyday spoken Spanish, empezar is the natural, go-to choice. Comenzar leans formal and appears more often in writing or formal speeches. This article walks through the key differences, the conjugation patterns you actually need, and the grammar rule that catches most learners off guard.

What Makes Empezar Irregular

Empezar is a stem-changing verb, which means the vowel in the middle shifts when the stress falls on that syllable. In the present tense, the e becomes ie for all forms except nosotros and vosotros. So you get yo empiezo, tú empiezas, él empieza, but nosotros empezamos — the stem stays regular there.

That shift follows a very common pattern in Spanish: pensar (to think), querer (to want), and preferir (to prefer) all do the same e to ie change. Once you learn one, the others click into place faster.

The Present Tense in Full

Here are all six present-tense forms you’ll use most. The stem change happens in the singular and the third-person plural — the only forms that keep the original e are nosotros and vosotros.

Notice that nosotros and vosotros stay regular — you don’t pronounce an extra syllable, just the plain e. That consistency makes the irregularity predictable once you see the pattern.

Why the Empezar vs Comenzar Question Sticks

Learners often worry they’ll sound awkward by picking the wrong verb. The difference between empezar and comenzar is small in meaning but noticeable in tone. Empezar is the colloquial workhorse — what you use with friends, at restaurants, and in casual texts. Comenzar tends to appear in news reports, literature, and formal announcements.

That said, the two are often used interchangeably, especially in Latin America. A Mexican speaker might say comenzar in everyday talk more often than a Spaniard would, but the general guideline holds: if you’re not sure, empezar is the safer, more natural choice for conversation.

• Empezar (colloquial): Best for daily speech, informal writing, and most spoken contexts. Example: Empiezo a trabajar a las nueve (I start work at nine).
• Comenzar (formal): More common in books, essays, speeches, and professional documents. Example: La ceremonia comenzará a las ocho (The ceremony will begin at eight).
• When either works: Both verbs can describe starting an action. The choice is mostly about tone, not correctness. Many native speakers use them without thinking.
• Regional preference: In Spain, empezar dominates spoken Spanish. In parts of Latin America, comenzar appears slightly more in everyday talk, but empezar is still perfectly normal.
• False trap: Some sources claim empezar is intransitive and comenzar is transitive, but in practice that distinction blurs. Don’t overthink it — focus on tone.

The takeaway: default to empezar for conversation. Reserve comenzar for when you want to sound a bit more formal or when you’re writing something like a report or a story.

How to Use Empezar in a Sentence

Now that you know which verb to use, the real trick is knowing how to structure the sentence. When empezar means “to start doing something,” it must be followed by the preposition a and an infinitive — never a gerund. Spanishdict breaks down this pattern in its Empezar Means to Start page, with full example sentences.

So you say Ella empieza a cocinar (She starts cooking), not Ella empieza cocinando. The infinitive rule applies every time: empiezo a leer, empezamos a correr, empiezan a llover.

This trips up English speakers because we naturally want to use the -ing form after “start.” Spanish requires the plain verb after a. Practice it with common activities: empezar a estudiar (to start studying), empezar a comer (to start eating), empezar a trabajar (to start working).

Preterite and Other Tenses You’ll Need

For past actions, the preterite tense of empezar is mostly regular, with one small spelling change. For the yo form, the z shifts to a c before the e — so yo empecé (I started), not yo empezé. This keeps the pronunciation consistent: the z sounds like /s/ or /θ/, and the c in empecé keeps the same sound.

1. Yo empecé — I started. Example: Ayer empecé el libro (Yesterday I started the book).
2. Tú empezaste — You started. Regular ending, no spelling change.
3. Él empezó — He started. Third-person singular ends in -ó, still regular.
4. Nosotros empezamos — We started. Same form as present tense; context tells you which is which.
5. Ellos empezaron — They started. Standard preterite ending.

The imperfect tense is fully regular: empezaba, empezabas, empezaba (used for continuous past: “was starting”). The future and conditional are also regular — just add the endings to the full infinitive: empezaré, empezarías, etc. You won’t need subjunctive right away, but it follows the stem-change pattern too: empiece, empieces, empiece.

The irregular bits are limited to the present tense stem change and that one preterite spelling fix. Once you internalize those, you can confidently use empezar in any situation.

Practice Phrases to Lock It In

The best way to make the stem change automatic is to repeat short, real-life phrases until they feel natural. Start with Yo empiezo mañana (I start tomorrow) and Ellos empiezan ahora (They start now). Then move to Ella empieza a bailar (She starts dancing). The combination of the ie change with the a + infinitive rule is the core pattern for most of your daily use.

Ellaverbs provides a full set of conjugation tables and example sentences in its One of the Most Popular guide, which also includes a printable PDF for offline review. Pair that with spaced repetition apps (like Anki) that quiz you on the present tense every day for a week, and you’ll stop hesitating.

For preterite practice, try Ayer empecé a correr (Yesterday I started running) and Empezamos la película tarde (We started the movie late). Once these flow naturally, add the subjunctive: Espero que empieces pronto (I hope you start soon).

The Bottom Line

Empezar is the everyday verb for “to start” in Spanish — it’s irregular in a predictable way (the e to ie stem change), it pairs with a plus an infinitive, and it beats comenzar for casual conversation. Focus on the present-tense forms and the preterite spelling shift, and you’ll have the core down within a week of light practice.

If you’re preparing for a Spanish proficiency exam like the DELE, working with a certified language teacher can help you drill the subtle differences between empezar and comenzar in formal vs informal registers, especially for the writing section where word choice matters most.