Començar means “begin” or “start,” both transitively in començar una reunió and intransitively in la reunió comença. Before another action, it governs a + infinitive: començar a treballar. Its endings are regular first conjugation, but the stem alternates between written començ- and comenc- to preserve the same /s/ sound before different vowels.
The principal parts començar – començo – comenci – comença – començat display the entire spelling logic. Use ç before a, o, or u (començo, començava, començaré) and c before e or i (comences, comencem, comenci). This is an orthographic alternation, not an irregular pronunciation or a stem-changing verb. Començar is not defective and is not inherently pronominal.
For a wider comparison of onset constructions, see beginning periphrases.
Nonfinite forms
| Form | Catalan | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Infinitive | començar | to begin, to start |
| Perfect infinitive | haver començat | to have begun |
| Gerund | començant | beginning |
| Perfect gerund | havent començat | having begun |
| Participle | començat; començada, començats, començades | begun; adjectival forms |
All compound tenses use haver + començat. The participle normally remains invariable in the perfect: les classes han començat. Forms such as començada agree when adjectival or when an independent participial construction licenses agreement.
Indicative: simple and periphrastic tenses
| Tense | jo | tu | ell / ella / vostè | nosaltres | vosaltres | ells / elles / vostès |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | començo | comences | comença | comencem | comenceu | comencen |
| Imperfect | començava | començaves | començava | començàvem | començàveu | començaven |
| Periphrastic past | vaig començar | vas començar | va començar | vam començar | vau començar | van començar |
| Simple past | comencí | començares | començà | començàrem | començàreu | començaren |
| Future | començaré | començaràs | començarà | començarem | començareu | començaran |
| Conditional | començaria | començaries | començaria | començaríem | començaríeu | començarien |
The conversational completed past is normally periphrastic. The simple series is (formal/literary) in much Central Catalan and remains spoken regionally. Comencí has c because ç is never written before i; començà has ç before a. Both preserve the same consonant sound.
La classe comença a dos quarts de nou, no pas a les nou.
Class starts at half past eight, not at nine.
Quan començava la tardor, l'avi guardava les cadires del pati.
When autumn was beginning, Grandpa would put away the patio chairs.
Vam començar el sopar sense ells perquè feien tard.
We started dinner without them because they were running late.
A trenc d'alba començà l'evacuació dels pobles afectats.
At daybreak, the evacuation of the affected villages began. (formal/literary)
Indicative compound tenses
| Tense | jo | tu | ell / ella / vostè | nosaltres | vosaltres | ells / elles / vostès |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present perfect | he començat | has començat | ha començat | hem començat | heu començat | han començat |
| Pluperfect | havia començat | havies començat | havia començat | havíem començat | havíeu començat | havien començat |
| Past anterior | haguí començat | hagueres començat | hagué començat | haguérem començat | haguéreu començat | hagueren començat |
| Future perfect | hauré començat | hauràs començat | haurà començat | haurem començat | haureu començat | hauran començat |
| Conditional perfect | hauria començat | hauries començat | hauria començat | hauríem començat | hauríeu començat | haurien començat |
The past anterior is (formal/literary). The periphrastic anterior is vaig haver començat, vas haver començat, va haver començat, vam haver començat, vau haver començat, van haver començat.
Ja hem començat les obres, però l'entrada principal continua oberta.
We've already started the building work, but the main entrance remains open.
A final de mes hauré començat el curs de primers auxilis.
By the end of the month, I will have started the first-aid course.
Subjunctive and imperative
| Tense | jo | tu | ell / ella / vostè | nosaltres | vosaltres | ells / elles / vostès |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present subjunctive | comenci | comencis | comenci | comencem | comenceu | comencin |
| Imperfect subjunctive | comencés | comencessis | comencés | comencéssim | comencéssiu | comencessin |
| Perfect subjunctive | hagi començat | hagis començat | hagi començat | hàgim començat | hàgiu començat | hagin començat |
| Pluperfect subjunctive | hagués començat | haguessis començat | hagués començat | haguéssim començat | haguéssiu començat | haguessin començat |
| Restricted periphrastic series | jo | tu | ell / ella / vostè | nosaltres | vosaltres | ells / elles / vostès |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indicative past anterior | vaig haver començat | vas haver començat | va haver començat | vam haver començat | vau haver començat | van haver començat |
| Subjunctive past | vagi començar | vagis començar | vagi començar | vàgim començar | vàgiu començar | vagin començar |
| Subjunctive past anterior | vagi haver començat | vagis haver començat | vagi haver començat | vàgim haver començat | vàgiu haver començat | vagin haver començat |
| Addressee | Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| tu | comença | no comencis |
| vostè | comenci | no comenci |
| nosaltres | comencem | no comencem |
| vosaltres | comenceu | no comenceu |
| vostès | comencin | no comencin |
The periphrastic subjunctive series is (regional/formal). The imperative exhibits the spelling alternation clearly: affirmative comença but negative no comencis. No pronunciation change accompanies the change from ç to c.
És important que comencis el tractament avui mateix.
It's important that you start the treatment today.
Si comencéssim per les tasques curtes, avançaríem més de pressa.
If we started with the short tasks, we'd make faster progress.
Comença per llegir les instruccions i després munta les peces.
Start by reading the instructions, and then assemble the parts.
Objects and governed prepositions
Transitive començar directly takes the thing initiated: començar una novel·la, una conversa, les vacances. Intransitive començar presents the event itself as subject: el concert comença. English also permits both patterns, so word order usually transfers well.
When the complement is another action, standard Catalan uses començar a + infinitive. The preposition is mandatory and de is not an alternative. This inchoative construction marks entry into an action, whereas estar + gerund views an action already in progress.
Tan bon punt va començar a ploure, vam entrar les plantes al menjador.
As soon as it started to rain, we brought the plants into the dining room.
La nena ha començat a caminar tota sola aquesta setmana.
The little girl has started walking on her own this week.
Use començar per + infinitive/noun when selecting the first step in an ordered sequence: comencem per revisar els números. Use començar amb for the material, person, or item that opens something: la presentació comença amb una pregunta. Començar de zero is the fixed expression “start from scratch.”
—Per on vols començar? —Comencem per la cuina, que és el que corre més pressa.
—Where do you want to start? —Let's start with the kitchen, because that's the most urgent part.
Després de perdre els arxius, ens va tocar començar de zero.
After losing the files, we had to start from scratch.
Unlike English get started, ordinary Catalan començar needs no reflexive pronoun. La reunió ha començat is neutral; s'ha començat la reunió is only possible in a different impersonal/passive analysis, not as a freely pronominal conjugation of començar-se.
(Regional: Valencian) first-person present comence, present subjunctive comence..., and imperfect subjunctive començara... are standard. (Regional: Balearic) forms include començ, començam, començau. Central forms are the teaching baseline. The c/ç spelling principle applies in every standard variety.
Common Mistakes
❌ Demà començo de treballar a les set.
Incorrect—an infinitive denoting the activity is governed by a, not de.
✅ Demà començo a treballar a les set.
Tomorrow I start work at seven.
❌ Espero que la pel·lícula començi aviat.
Incorrect spelling—before i, the /s/ sound is written c, never ç.
✅ Espero que la pel·lícula comenci aviat.
I hope the film starts soon.
❌ La conferència es comença a les deu.
Incorrect as a neutral statement of start time—començar is not inherently pronominal.
✅ La conferència comença a les deu.
The conference starts at ten.
❌ Jo comenceixo sempre pel capítol més fàcil.
Incorrect—començar is first conjugation and does not take an incoative extension.
✅ Jo començo sempre pel capítol més fàcil.
I always start with the easiest chapter.
Key Takeaways
The conjugation is regular in sound but alternates ç before a/o/u and c before e/i. Use a direct object for the thing begun, a + infinitive for the action entered, and per for the chosen first step. Compound tenses use haver + començat, and the ordinary verb is not pronominal.
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Start learning Catalan →Related Topics
- Començar a, Posar-se a, and Arrencar aA2 — Choose the Catalan inchoative periphrasis that presents a beginning neutrally, as a deliberate or sudden onset, or as an energetic outburst.
- Acabar de and Deixar deA2 — Use acabar de for a just-completed event or incomplete attainment, and deixar de for stopping an activity, with precise control of tense and negation.
- Affirmative ImperativesA2 — Form affirmative Catalan commands for tu, vostè, nosaltres, vosaltres, and vostès, with correct agreement and weak-pronoun placement.
- Participles in Compound TensesA2 — Use haver plus a normally invariable participle, place negation and clitics correctly, and recognize restricted object agreement.
- Pronoun Placement Across Verb FormsB1 — Place weak pronouns before finite verbs, after infinitives, gerunds, and affirmative imperatives, and correctly across verb phrases.