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SPANISH VERB

empezar

to start

  • #38 most used
  • Irregular -ar verb
  • Gerund: empezando
  • Past participle: empezado

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Presente · now, habits and facts

  1. yo I start
  2. tú you start
  3. usted, él, ella he/she starts
  4. nosotros we start
  5. vosotros Spain you all start
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they start

Past

Pretérito indefinido · finished actions

  1. yo I started
  2. tú you started
  3. usted, él, ella he/she started
  4. nosotros we started
  5. vosotros Spain you all started
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they started

Imperfect

Pretérito imperfecto · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. yo I used to start
  2. tú you used to start
  3. usted, él, ella he/she used to start
  4. nosotros we used to start
  5. vosotros Spain you all used to start
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they used to start

Future

Futuro · plans and promises; in speech, “voy a hablar” is just as common

  1. yo I will start
  2. tú you will start
  3. usted, él, ella he/she will start
  4. nosotros we will start
  5. vosotros Spain you all will start
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they will start

Conditional

Condicional · “would”

  1. yo I would start
  2. tú you would start
  3. usted, él, ella he/she would start
  4. nosotros we would start
  5. vosotros Spain you all would start
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they would start

Present subjunctive

Presente de subjuntivo · wishes, doubts, “que …”

  1. yo (that) I start
  2. tú (that) you start
  3. usted, él, ella (that) he/she start
  4. nosotros (that) we start
  5. vosotros Spain (that) you all start
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas (that) they start

Past subjunctive

Imperfecto de subjuntivo · “if I were”, “si …”

  1. yo (if) I started
  2. tú (if) you started
  3. usted, él, ella (if) he/she started
  4. nosotros (if) we started
  5. vosotros Spain (if) you all started
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas (if) they started

Imperative

Imperativo · requests and orders; a negative one uses the subjunctive (no hables)

  1. tú start!
  2. usted start! (formal)
  3. nosotros start! (let’s)
  4. vosotros Spain start! (all of you)
  5. ustedes start! (all of you)

How to use empezar

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    La clase empieza a las nueve en punto.

    The class starts at nine sharp.

  2. Past

    Empecé a estudiar español el año pasado.

    I started studying Spanish last year.

  3. Imperfect

    La película empezaba cuando llegamos.

    The movie was starting when we arrived.

  4. Future

    ¿Cuándo empezarás tu nuevo trabajo?

    When will you start your new job?

  5. Conditional

    Yo empezaría por limpiar la cocina.

    I'd start by cleaning the kitchen.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Avísame cuando empiece el partido.

    Let me know when the game starts.

  7. Past subjunctive

    Si empezaras hoy, terminarías antes del verano.

    If you started today, you'd finish before summer.

  8. Imperative

    ¡Empiecen sin mí, llego en diez minutos!

    Start without me, I'll be there in ten minutes!

Where you hear empezar

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

Spanish · Beginner Level 2

  • Empiezo a las ocho. I start at eight.
  • Empecé el lunes. I started on Monday.
  • Va a empezar el lunes. You're going to start on Monday.

Spanish · Beginner Level 3

  • El trabajo empieza el lunes. The job starts on Monday.
  • Empezó a llover. It started to rain.
  • Empezaré en la clínica el lunes cinco. I'll start at the clinic on Monday the fifth.
7
I'd Like to Help

Beginner Level 2 · empezar · empiezo · empieza

Needs a subscription 10
What Did You Do This Week?

Beginner Level 2 · empecé · empezaste

Needs a subscription 9
The First Cenote

Beginner Level 3 · empezó a llover

Needs a subscription 10
A Call from Oaxaca

Beginner Level 3 · empezarás · empezaré

Needs a subscription 24
The Posada

Beginner Level 3 · empieza

Needs a subscription 20
The Morning After

Intermediate Level 1 · en cuanto empiece

Needs a subscription 28
A Call to Boston

Intermediate Level 1 · empezaste

Needs a subscription 29
Whatever Happens

Intermediate Level 1 · empezaría el curso

Needs a subscription 1
Finally

Intermediate Level 2 · había empezado

Free 16
The Guelaguetza

Intermediate Level 2 · ¡Ya empezó!

Needs a subscription 21
By Then I'll Have Finished

Intermediate Level 2 · Ya empezamos.

Needs a subscription 22
If I Went, If I Stayed

Intermediate Level 3 · empezar otra vez de cero

Needs a subscription

And 3 more lessons.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: irregular -ar verb.