Empezar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

empezar — to start — is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Empezar means to start and to begin: empezar a + infinitive, empezar el curso. It is an e → ie stem-changing verb (empiezo, empiezas, empieza) with a spelling change in the yo preterite and subjunctive: empecé, empiece. It is the everyday alternative to comenzar. On this page you will find empezar in real sentences, grouped by meaning and tense, two short texts that show it in context, the mistakes learners actually make with it, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then test yourself.

Example sentences with empezar

In the present tense

  • “Yo empiezo a trabajar a las nueve.” — “I start work at nine.”
  • “Ella empieza la dieta el lunes.” — “She starts the diet on Monday.”
  • “Nosotros empezamos el curso en septiembre.” — “We start the course in September.”
  • “Ellos empiezan a estudiar español.” — “They start studying Spanish.”
  • “¿Tú empiezas ahora o más tarde?” — “Are you starting now or later?”
  • “Vosotros empezáis la reunión a las diez.” — “You start the meeting at ten.”

In the preterite

  • “Ayer yo empecé a leer un libro nuevo.” — “Yesterday I started reading a new book.”
  • “Ella empezó el gimnasio en enero.” — “She started the gym in January.”
  • “Nosotros empezamos las obras en marzo.” — “We started the works in March.”
  • “Ellos empezaron a trabajar juntos el año pasado.” — “They started working together last year.”
  • “¿Tú empezaste el proyecto ayer?” — “Did you start the project yesterday?”
  • “La película empezó a las ocho en punto.” — “The film started at eight o’clock sharp.”

In other tenses

The same verb in the imperfect, the future, the conditional and the present perfect — the four tenses that complete the picture. All forms come from the verified tables.

  • “De niño, yo empezaba a trabajar a las nueve.” — “As a child, I used to start working at nine.”
  • “Mañana, yo empezaré a trabajar a las nueve.” — “Tomorrow, I will start working at nine.”
  • “Si pudiera, yo empezaría a trabajar a las nueve.” — “If I could, I would start working at nine.”
  • “Yo he empezado a trabajar a las nueve.” — “I have started working at nine.”

Empezar in context

Cada día, yo empiezo a trabajar a las nueve. Mi amigo también empieza a trabajar a las nueve cuando tiene tiempo. Después, yo empiezo a trabajar de nuevo por la tarde. Es una parte normal de mi rutina, y por eso el presente de empezar es la primera forma que conviene aprender.

Ayer, yo empecé a trabajar a las nueve. Mi amigo empezó a trabajar a las nueve también, y por la noche yo empecé a trabajar otra vez. Fue un día normal, pero es justo en días así cuando el pretérito de empezar aparece una y otra vez: una acción terminada, un momento concreto, y la historia sigue.

Common mistakes with empezar

Mistake 1

Wrong: Ayer yo empezé a leer.

Right: Ayer yo empiezo a leer.

The preterite keeps the soft c sound with z: empecé, not empezé.

Mistake 2

Wrong: Yo empezo a trabajar.

Right: Yo empiezo a trabajar.

Empezar changes e to ie: empiezo, not empezo.

Mistake 3

Wrong: Using the plain stem instead of the changed stem.

Right: Use the changed stem in the stressed forms: empiezo.

The e → ie stem change applies to empezar in the present — the yo form is empiezo, not the infinitive stem.

Mistake 4

Wrong: Treating empezar as a regular verb.

Right: Learn the irregular forms: present empiezo, preterite empecé.

empezar is irregular — its present and preterite do not follow the regular endings, so they have to be memorised as a set.

Quiz: empezar in everyday use

Ten questions on empezar across the tenses. Answers with explanations follow each question.

1. What is the yo form of empezar in the present tense?

  • A) empiezo
  • B) empiezas
  • C) empieza
  • D) empezamos

Answer: A — The yo form in the present tense is empiezo.

2. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of empezar in the present tense?

  • A) empiezo
  • B) empiezas
  • C) empezamos
  • D) empieza

Answer: D — The él/ella/Ud. form in the present tense is empieza.

3. What is the yo form of empezar in the preterite?

  • A) empezó
  • B) empezamos
  • C) empecé
  • D) empezaste

Answer: C — The yo form in the preterite is empecé.

4. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of empezar in the preterite?

  • A) empezó
  • B) empezaron
  • C) empecé
  • D) empezaste

Answer: B — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the preterite is empezaron.

5. What is the yo form of empezar in the imperfect?

  • A) empezaba
  • B) empezabas
  • C) empezaba
  • D) empezábamos

Answer: A — The yo form in the imperfect is empezaba.

6. What is the tú form of empezar in the future?

  • A) empezaré
  • B) empezará
  • C) empezaremos
  • D) empezarás

Answer: D — The tú form in the future is empezarás.

7. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of empezar in the conditional?

  • A) empezarías
  • B) empezaríamos
  • C) empezaría
  • D) empezaría

Answer: C — The él/ella/Ud. form in the conditional is empezaría.

8. What is the nosotros/as form of empezar in the present perfect?

  • A) ha empezado
  • B) hemos empezado
  • C) he empezado
  • D) has empezado

Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the present perfect is hemos empezado.

9. Fill in the blank: “Yo ___ a trabajar a las nueve.” (I start work at nine.)

  • A) empiezo
  • B) empiezas
  • C) empieza
  • D) empezamos

Answer: A — The sentence needs empiezo.

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Ayer yo empiezo a leer.
  • B) Ayer yo empezé a leer.

Answer: A — The preterite keeps the soft c sound with z: empecé, not empezé.

Frequently asked questions

What does empezar mean?

empezar means “to start” in English. Empezar means to start and to begin: empezar a + infinitive, empezar el curso. It is an e → ie stem-changing verb (empiezo, empiezas, empieza) with a spelling change in the yo preterite and subjunctive: empecé, empiece. It is the everyday alternative to comenzar.

Is empezar regular?

No. empezar is an e → ie stem-changing irregular -ar verb (irregular in present, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative). It is irregular in present, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative, and those forms have to be learnt as a set rather than built by rule. The full conjugation page shows every tense.

When do I use empezar in the past — preterite or imperfect?

Use the preterite — empecé, empezaste, empezó — for a finished action at a specific moment, and the imperfect — empezaba, empezabas, empezaba — for what was happening, what used to happen, or the background. The same rule applies to empezar as to every Spanish verb; the tense changes the meaning, not the verb.

How can I practise empezar?

Start with the examples above, say them aloud, then take the quiz on this page. For more practice, use the Spanish Verb Quiz and the Empezar Conjugator, and read the full conjugation page for empezar to see the verb in every tense.

Say it yourself

Reading is not enough — say the verb aloud before you move on. Use the forms from the tables on this page and answer these three prompts as full sentences. First, say a sentence about yourself in the present tense: “Yo empiezo…”. Second, say a sentence about yesterday in the preterite: “Ayer yo empecé…”. Third, say a sentence about tomorrow in the future: “Mañana yo empezaré…”. If you can answer all three without looking at the tables, the forms are starting to stick. If you hesitate, go back to the examples above, read them aloud twice, and try again. Speaking the forms is what turns a table you have seen into a verb you can use.

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