Empezar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish

The present tense of empezar — to start — is the form you need for habits, facts and what is happening now. 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. This page gives you the complete present tense table for empezar, how it is formed, when to use it, the mistakes learners make with it, and a quiz to check yourself. The first example shows it in action: “Yo empiezo a trabajar a las nueve.” — “I start work at nine”.

Present tense conjugation of empezar

Every form in the table below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for empezar. Empezar is an e → ie stem-changing irregular -ar verb (irregular in present, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative), so watch out for the forms that break the pattern — they are the ones learners need to memorise.

Present tense indicative — empezar

Person Form
yo empiezo
tú empiezas
él/ella/Ud. empieza
nosotros/as empezamos
vosotros/as empezáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. empiezan

The gerund of empezar is empezando and the past participle is empezado. You need the participle for the perfect tenses and the gerund for the progressive with estar.

How the present tense of empezar is formed

The present tense of empezar does not follow the regular pattern. It has a e → ie stem change, so the stem vowel changes in the stressed forms. If empezar were regular, the present tense forms would be yo → empezo, tú → empezas, él/ella/Ud. → empeza, nosotros/as → empezamos, vosotros/as → empezáis, ellos/ellas/Uds. → empezan — but empezar breaks the pattern in this tense: the forms are empiezo, empiezas, empieza, empezamos, empezáis and empiezan.

The stem change affects the stressed forms only: empiezo, empiezas, empieza and empiezan change, while empezamos and empezáis keep the plain stem. That is the rule for every e → ie stem-changing verb, and it is why the nosotros and vosotros forms are the safe ones to fall back on when you are unsure.

A note on spelling: the written accents in this tense are part of the form, not decoration. In the present tense, empezáis carries an accent, and leaving it out changes the pronunciation and, in writing, marks the form as wrong. Copy the forms from the table above exactly, accents included.

When to use the present tense of empezar

1. Habits and routines

Use the present for things you do regularly. For example, with empezar: “Yo empiezo a trabajar a las nueve.” — “I start work at nine”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

2. General truths and facts

Use the present for things that are always true. For example, with empezar: “Ella empieza la dieta el lunes.” — “She starts the diet on Monday”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

3. What is happening right now

Use the present for actions in progress at this moment. For example, with empezar: “Nosotros empezamos el curso en septiembre.” — “We start the course in September”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

4. Scheduled plans and the near future

Use the present for fixed plans, especially with a time expression. For example, with empezar: “Ellos empiezan a estudiar español.” — “They start studying Spanish”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

Present vs future: empezar now, empezar later

The present and the future both talk about things that have not happened yet in one sense, but they are not interchangeable. The present is for what is true now or already fixed; the future is for what will happen and is not yet certain. Compare the pairs below — the present form comes from this page, the future form from the full conjugation table.

  • Present tense tense: “Yo empiezo a trabajar todos los días.” — “I start working every day.”

  • Future: “Yo empezaré a trabajar mañana.” — “Tomorrow I will start working.”

  • Present tense tense: “Ella empieza a trabajar ahora.” — “She starts working now.”

  • Future: “Ella empezará a trabajar la semana que viene.” — “Next week she will start working.”

  • Present tense tense: “Nosotros empezamos a trabajar en clase.” — “We start working in class.”

  • Future: “Nosotros empezaremos a trabajar el lunes.” — “On Monday we will start working.”

Example sentences: empezar in the present tense

Six sentences using only the present tense of empezar, with English translations. Read them aloud — saying the forms is the fastest way to fix them in memory.

  • “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.”

Common mistakes with empezar in the present tense

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 in a stressed form.

Right: Use the changed stem: empiezo.

The e → ie stem change applies to the stressed forms of empezar — the yo form is empiezo, not the plain stem.

Quiz: empezar in the present tense

Eight questions on the present tense of empezar. 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 tú form of empezar in the present tense?

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

Answer: D — The tú form in the present tense is empiezas.

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

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

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

4. What is the nosotros/as form of empezar in the present tense?

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

Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the present tense is empezamos.

5. 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.

6. Fill in the blank: “Ella ___ la dieta el lunes.” (She starts the diet on Monday.)

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

Answer: D — The sentence needs empieza.

7. Which sentence is correct?

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

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

8. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Yo empiezo a trabajar.
  • B) Yo empezo a trabajar.

Answer: A — Empezar changes e to ie: empiezo, not empezo.

Frequently asked questions

Is empezar regular in the present tense?

No. empezar is irregular in the present tense: the forms are empiezo, empiezas, empieza, empezamos, empezáis and empiezan. There is no rule that produces them from the infinitive, so they have to be learnt as a set — the quiz above is a good place to start.

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

It is empiezo. The yo form is the one learners use most and the one that most often breaks the pattern — for empezar it is the form to learn first, before the rest of the table.

When do I use the present tense of empezar instead of the preterite?

Use the present when the action is a habit, a fact, or happening now, and the preterite when it is a finished action in the past. If you can add “yesterday” to the sentence and it still makes sense, you almost certainly need the preterite, not the present.

How can I remember the present tense forms of empezar?

Say the six forms aloud in order — empiezo, empiezas, empieza, empezamos, empezáis, empiezan — three times a day for a week, always in a sentence, never as a bare list. Then use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test yourself, and 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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