Bien, yo empiezo.
Okay, I'll go first.
Someone has to break an awkward silence, and this is how you volunteer. Yo empiezo works like I'll go first.
From Grey's Anatomy · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "start" in Spanish
empezar
verbe changes to ieyo empiezo
"Start" in Spanish is empezar. In most present-tense forms the e turns into ie: empiezo, empiezas, empieza. Comenzar means the same thing, follows the same pattern and sounds a little more formal.
Hear "empezar" in real movie scenes
Two forms of the verb, both with the ie. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Empiezas mañana.
You start tomorrow.
Two words in an office, and the job is yours. Good news doesn't get shorter than this, and the -as ending means you.
From Suits · Spanish audio
Empezar, comenzar, iniciar or arrancar?
English says start for all of these. Spanish has a verb for each situation.
| Spanish | When to use it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| empezar | The everyday word | La clase empieza a las diez. (Class starts at ten.) |
| comenzar | Same meaning, a bit more formal | La reunión comienza ahora. (The meeting is starting now.) |
| iniciar | Formal or technical starts | iniciar sesión (to log in) |
| arrancar | Engines, cars, machines | Arranca el motor. (Start the engine.) |
| ponerse a | Suddenly starting to do something | Se puso a llorar. (She started crying.) |
Tip: Empezar and comenzar share the e to ie change: empiezo, comienzo. Learn one and you have both.
Grammar: empezar, empiezo
Four rules that keep this verb from tripping you up.
The stem changes
When the stress falls on the stem, e becomes ie: empiezo, empiezas, empieza, empiezan. Only empezamos and empezáis keep the e.Empezar a + verb
To start doing something, put a before the next verb: Empieza a llover. It's starting to rain.Z turns into c
Spanish doesn't write z before e, so the past tense yo form is empecé, I started.Say when with a las
La película empieza a las ocho. The movie starts at eight. Use a la only for one o'clock.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Empiezo a las nueve.
I start at nine.
Bien, yo empiezo.
Okay, I'll go first.
Empiezas mañana.
You start tomorrow.
Quiero empezar.
I want to start.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗Yo empezo
✓Yo empiezo
The yo form takes the ie in its stem.
✗Empiezo trabajar
✓Empiezo a trabajar
When another verb follows, empezar needs a in between.
✗Yo empezé
✓Yo empecé
Before the letter e, the z of the stem is written as c.
✗El coche no empieza
✓El coche no arranca
A car or an engine that starts takes the verb arrancar.
Real conversation: morning yoga
A short dialog at the front desk of a yoga studio.
You're at the front desk of a yoga studio, and the instructor Alejandro is telling you about the morning class.
Aquí el yoga es a las ocho.
Here, yoga is at eight.
¿Las ocho? Empiezo a las nueve.
Eight? I start at nine.
Tranquilo. Solo es hasta las ocho y media.
Relax. It only goes until eight thirty.
Your turn to answer
In the app you reply in Spanish for the last 2 lines.
Continue the conversation in WordyPractice: 3 quick exercises
Free, and you don't need an account.
1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
The other 32 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
The middle of empezar is pez, Spanish for fish. Picture a fish lined up at the start of a race, waiting for the whistle.
Questions about "start" in Spanish
How do you say start in Spanish?
Empezar, or comenzar, which means the same. In the present tense the stem changes: empiezo, empiezas, empieza.
What's the difference between empezar and comenzar?
Hardly any. Empezar is more common in conversation, while comenzar has a slightly more formal ring and shows up more in writing.
How do you say "I started" in Spanish?
Empecé, with a c. The present tense is empiezo, I start.
How do you say "let's start" in Spanish?
Empecemos, or the casual question ¿Empezamos?, shall we start?
