What does empezar mean in English?

Empezar means "to begin/start" in English.

How do you conjugate empezar in Spanish?

Empezar is conjugated across all Spanish tenses including present, preterite, imperfect, future, conditional, subjunctive, and more. Each tense has specific conjugations for yo, tú, él/ella/usted, nosotros, vosotros, and ellos/ustedes. You can see complete conjugation tables with audio pronunciations on this page.

What are common idiomatic expressions with empezar?

Common idiomatic expressions using empezar include: "empezar por" (to start with / to begin by), "empezar de cero" (to start from scratch), "para empezar" (to start with / first of all). These expressions are frequently used in everyday Spanish conversation.

What should I know about using empezar?

Empezar is a stem-changing verb: e→ie in stressed syllables (empiezo, empiezas)

What verbs are related to empezar?

Verbs related to empezar include: comenzar. These verbs share similar meanings, stems, or conjugation patterns.

How do you use empezar in a sentence?

Example: "La clase empieza a las nueve." which means "The class starts at nine." in English.

What are synonyms for empezar?

Spanish synonyms for empezar include: comenzar, iniciar, arrancar. The exact synonym to use depends on the context and specific meaning intended.

Empezar Conjugation

to begin/start in Spanish

🏃

Gerund (gerundio)

Present participle (-ing form)

empezando

📋

Past Participle

Used in compound tenses

empezado

Simple Tenses

⚡

Present Indicative (presente de indicativo)

Present actions and habitual activities

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	empiezo I begin/start	I begin/start
tú	empiezas you begin/start	you begin/start
él/ella/usted	empieza he/she/you begin/starts	he/she/you begin/starts
nosotros	empezamos we begin/start	we begin/start
vosotros	empezáis you all begin/start	you all begin/start
ellos/ustedes	empiezan they/you all begin/start	they/you all begin/start

🕰️

Imperfect Indicative (imperfecto de indicativo)

Ongoing past actions and descriptions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	empezaba I used to begin/start	I used to begin/start
tú	empezabas you used to begin/start	you used to begin/start
él/ella/usted	empezaba he/she/you used to begin/start	he/she/you used to begin/start
nosotros	empezábamos we used to begin/start	we used to begin/start
vosotros	empezabais you all used to begin/start	you all used to begin/start
ellos/ustedes	empezaban they/you all used to begin/start	they/you all used to begin/start

📅

Preterit (pretérito)

Completed past actions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	empezé I begin/started	I begin/started
tú	empezaste you begin/started	you begin/started
él/ella/usted	empezó he/she/you begin/started	he/she/you begin/started
nosotros	empezamos we begin/started	we begin/started
vosotros	empezasteis you all begin/started	you all begin/started
ellos/ustedes	empezaron they/you all begin/started	they/you all begin/started

🔮

Future (futuro)

Future actions and intentions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	empezaré I will begin/start	I will begin/start
tú	empezarás you will begin/start	you will begin/start
él/ella/usted	empezará he/she/you will begin/start	he/she/you will begin/start
nosotros	empezaremos we will begin/start	we will begin/start
vosotros	empezaréis you all will begin/start	you all will begin/start
ellos/ustedes	empezarán they/you all will begin/start	they/you all will begin/start

🎯

Conditional (potencial simple)

Hypothetical and conditional actions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	empezaría I would begin/start	I would begin/start
tú	empezarías you would begin/start	you would begin/start
él/ella/usted	empezaría he/she/you would begin/start	he/she/you would begin/start
nosotros	empezaríamos we would begin/start	we would begin/start
vosotros	empezaríais you all would begin/start	you all would begin/start
ellos/ustedes	empezarían they/you all would begin/start	they/you all would begin/start

💭

Present Subjunctive (presente de subjuntivo)

Subjective present actions and desires

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	empieze that I begin/start	that I begin/start
tú	empiezes that you begin/start	that you begin/start
él/ella/usted	empieze that he/she/you begin/start	that he/she/you begin/start
nosotros	empezemos that we begin/start	that we begin/start
vosotros	empezéis that you all begin/start	that you all begin/start
ellos/ustedes	empiezen that they/you all begin/start	that they/you all begin/start

🌙

Imperfect Subjunctive (imperfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective past actions and hypothetical situations

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	empezara or empezase that I begin/started	that I begin/started
tú	empezaras or empezases that you begin/started	that you begin/started
él/ella/usted	empezara or empezase that he/she/you begin/started	that he/she/you begin/started
nosotros	empezáramos or empezásemos that we begin/started	that we begin/started
vosotros	empezarais or empezaseis that you all begin/started	that you all begin/started
ellos/ustedes	empezaran or empezasen that they/you all begin/started	that they/you all begin/started

Compound Tenses

✅

Present Perfect (perfecto de indicativo)

Actions completed recently or with present relevance

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	he empezado I have begin/started	I have begin/started
tú	has empezado you have begin/started	you have begin/started
él/ella/usted	ha empezado he/she/you have begin/started	he/she/you have begin/started
nosotros	hemos empezado we have begin/started	we have begin/started
vosotros	habéis empezado you all have begin/started	you all have begin/started
ellos/ustedes	han empezado they/you all have begin/started	they/you all have begin/started

⏪

Pluperfect Indicative (pluscuamperfecto de indicativo)

Actions completed before another past action

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	había empezado I had begin/started	I had begin/started
tú	habías empezado you had begin/started	you had begin/started
él/ella/usted	había empezado he/she/you had begin/started	he/she/you had begin/started
nosotros	habíamos empezado we had begin/started	we had begin/started
vosotros	habíais empezado you all had begin/started	you all had begin/started
ellos/ustedes	habían empezado they/you all had begin/started	they/you all had begin/started

📍

Preterit Perfect (pretérito anterior)

Actions completed immediately before another past action

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	hube empezado I had begin/started	I had begin/started
tú	hubiste empezado you had begin/started	you had begin/started
él/ella/usted	hubo empezado he/she/you had begin/started	he/she/you had begin/started
nosotros	hubimos empezado we had begin/started	we had begin/started
vosotros	hubisteis empezado you all had begin/started	you all had begin/started
ellos/ustedes	hubieron empezado they/you all had begin/started	they/you all had begin/started

🎊

Future Perfect (futuro perfecto)

Actions that will be completed by a future time

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	habré empezado I will have begin/started	I will have begin/started
tú	habrás empezado you will have begin/started	you will have begin/started
él/ella/usted	habrá empezado he/she/you will have begin/started	he/she/you will have begin/started
nosotros	habremos empezado we will have begin/started	we will have begin/started
vosotros	habréis empezado you all will have begin/started	you all will have begin/started
ellos/ustedes	habrán empezado they/you all will have begin/started	they/you all will have begin/started

🔄

Conditional Perfect (potencial compuesto)

Actions that would have been completed under certain conditions

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	habría empezado I would have begin/started	I would have begin/started
tú	habrías empezado you would have begin/started	you would have begin/started
él/ella/usted	habría empezado he/she/you would have begin/started	he/she/you would have begin/started
nosotros	habríamos empezado we would have begin/started	we would have begin/started
vosotros	habríais empezado you all would have begin/started	you all would have begin/started
ellos/ustedes	habrían empezado they/you all would have begin/started	they/you all would have begin/started

💫

Subjunctive Present Perfect (perfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective actions completed in relation to the present

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	haya empezado that I have begin/started	that I have begin/started
tú	hayas empezado that you have begin/started	that you have begin/started
él/ella/usted	haya empezado that he/she/you have begin/started	that he/she/you have begin/started
nosotros	hayamos empezado that we have begin/started	that we have begin/started
vosotros	hayáis empezado that you all have begin/started	that you all have begin/started
ellos/ustedes	hayan empezado that they/you all have begin/started	that they/you all have begin/started

🌌

Subjunctive Past Perfect (pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo)

Subjective actions completed before another past action

Person	Conjugation	English
yo	hubiera empezado that I had begin/started	that I had begin/started
tú	hubieras empezado that you had begin/started	that you had begin/started
él/ella/usted	hubiera empezado that he/she/you had begin/started	that he/she/you had begin/started
nosotros	hubiéramos empezado that we had begin/started	that we had begin/started
vosotros	hubierais empezado that you all had begin/started	that you all had begin/started
ellos/ustedes	hubieran empezado that they/you all had begin/started	that they/you all had begin/started

❗

Commands (imperativo)

Commands and direct orders

Person	Command	English
tú	empieza	begin/start! (you)
usted	empieze	begin/start! (you formal)
nosotros	empezemos	let's begin/start!
vosotros	empezad	begin/start! (you all)
ustedes	empiezen	begin/start! (you all)

🚫

Negative Commands (imperativo negativo)

Negative commands and prohibitions

Person	Command	English
tú	no empiezes	don't begin/start! (you)
usted	no empieze	don't begin/start! (you formal)
nosotros	no empezemos	let's not begin/start!
vosotros	no empezéis	don't begin/start! (you all)
ustedes	no empiezen	don't begin/start! (you all)

More About "empezar"

Idiomatic Expressions

empezar por

to start with / to begin by

💡 Indicating the first action or step

empezar de cero

to start from scratch

💡 Beginning again with nothing

para empezar

to start with / first of all

💡 Introducing the first point or reason

empezar con buen pie

to get off to a good start

💡 Beginning something successfully

empezar la casa por el tejado

to put the cart before the horse

💡 Doing things in the wrong order

Examples in Context

La clase empieza a las nueve.

The class starts at nine.

Present

Empecé a trabajar aquí hace dos años.

I started working here two years ago.

Preterite

Voy a empezar un nuevo proyecto.

I'm going to start a new project.

Future Periphrastic

Ha empezado a llover.

It has started to rain.

Present Perfect

Empezaré mañana sin falta.

I will start tomorrow without fail.

Future

Related Verbs

comenzar(to begin, start)

synonym - same meaning

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms:

comenzar(to begin, start)

Completely interchangeable with empezar

iniciar(to initiate, start)

More formal

arrancar(to start up)

Often for machines or projects

Antonyms:

terminar(to finish, end)

acabar(to finish, end)

finalizar(to finalize, end)

Usage Notes

•Empezar is a stem-changing verb: e→ie in stressed syllables (empiezo, empiezas)
•Spelling change in preterite first person: empecé (z→c before e)
•Completely interchangeable with "comenzar" in all contexts
•Often followed by "a" + infinitive: empezar a trabajar (to start working)
•Can also use "por" to indicate what you start with: empezar por el principio
•Stem change occurs in present indicative, present subjunctive, and imperative
•Present subjunctive also has spelling change: empiece (z→c before e)
•Common in time expressions: la película empieza a las 8 (the movie starts at 8)

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Empezar Conjugation

Simple Tenses

Compound Tenses

More About "empezar"

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

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