When something starts happening — the rain begins to fall, the kids begin to argue, you finally begin to understand the subjunctive — Spanish reaches for the periphrasis empezar a + infinitivo. It is the workhorse expression of initiation in Spain, used dozens of times a day in casual conversation. Its near-twin comenzar a exists and means the same thing, but feels a notch more formal; empezar a is what you actually hear on the metro.
The construction is built from three slots, always in this order: the verb empezar conjugated to match the subject, the preposition a, and an infinitive. The a is mandatory and the single most common point of failure for English speakers.
The structure
| Subject | empezar (present) |
| Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | empiezo | empiezo a entender | I'm starting to understand |
| tú | empiezas | empiezas a entender | you're starting to understand |
| él / ella / usted | empieza | empieza a entender | he/she/you (formal) is starting to understand |
| nosotros / nosotras | empezamos | empezamos a entender | we're starting to understand |
| vosotros / vosotras | empezáis | empezáis a entender | you (all) are starting to understand |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | empiezan | empiezan a entender | they / you (formal plural) are starting to understand |
Note the e → ie stem change in empezar: it appears in every singular form and in the third person plural, but not in nosotros or vosotros. The infinitive empezar keeps the e; the conjugated empiezo, empiezas, empieza, empiezan diphthongize.
Empieza a llover, vamos a coger un taxi.
It's starting to rain, let's grab a taxi.
Empezamos a comer a las dos y media en mi casa, ¿te apuntas?
We start eating around half past two at my place — want to come?
Mi sobrina ya empieza a hablar, dice 'agua' y 'mamá'.
My niece is already starting to talk — she says 'agua' and 'mamá'.
Why the preposition a is non-negotiable
English speakers routinely produce empiezo estudiar instead of empiezo a estudiar, because English just says "I start to study" with no preposition between "start" and the infinitive. In Spanish the a is part of the construction, not a translation of anything in English — it is a structural link that signals the following verb is an infinitive of initiated action.
Drop the a and the sentence is not just clumsy; it is ungrammatical. Spaniards will hear the gap immediately.
Empecé a trabajar aquí en septiembre.
I started working here in September.
¿A qué hora empezáis a rodar mañana?
What time do you (all) start filming tomorrow?
In the preterite — the most common use
You will use empezar a in the preterite (empecé, empezaste, empezó…) more often than in any other tense, because we constantly narrate the moment something began. Watch the spelling: empezar needs empecé (with c) in the first person preterite, because z before e would violate Spanish spelling rules. The other persons keep the z: empezaste, empezó, empezamos, empezasteis, empezaron.
Empecé a estudiar español hace dos años, en la universidad.
I started studying Spanish two years ago, at university.
Cuando empezó a sonar la canción, todos se levantaron a bailar.
When the song started playing, everyone got up to dance.
Empezaron a discutir por una tontería y acabaron sin hablarse.
They started arguing over something stupid and ended up not speaking to each other.
Related initiation verbs: comenzar a, ponerse a, echar(se) a, romper a
Spanish has a small family of inception periphrases. They all mark the beginning of an action, but each has its own flavor.
| Periphrasis | Register / nuance | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| empezar a + inf. | neutral, everyday | Default for any beginning. |
| comenzar a + inf. | slightly more formal | News, written prose, speeches. |
| ponerse a + inf. | colloquial, with energy or sudden initiative | "Got down to it" — see ponerse a + infinitivo. |
| echar(se) a + inf. | colloquial, sudden and limited to a few verbs | Almost exclusively with correr, llorar, reír, andar, volar. |
| romper a + inf. | literary, emotional outburst | Almost exclusively romper a llorar / a reír. |
Vamos a empezar la reunión cuando llegue Marta.
We'll start the meeting when Marta gets here.
El acto comenzará a las once en el salón principal. (formal)
The event will begin at eleven in the main hall.
Se puso a llover justo cuando salimos. (informal, sudden)
It started pouring just as we left.
El niño echó a correr en cuanto vio a su padre. (colloquial)
The kid took off running as soon as he saw his father.
If you are A2 and just want one verb for initiation, pick empezar a. It works in every register from texting your friend to writing a workplace email. Save the others for when you want a specific flavor.
Empezar a vs. empezar without a
Empezar is also a transitive verb that takes a direct object (a noun, not an infinitive). When the object is a noun, no preposition appears: empezar el libro, empezar la dieta, empezar el día con un café.
Empecé el libro anoche y ya voy por la mitad.
I started the book last night and I'm already halfway through.
Empezamos el día con un café y una tostada.
We start the day with a coffee and a piece of toast.
The a shows up only when an infinitive follows. So: empezar a + verb, but empezar + noun.
Common collocations Spaniards actually use
These phrases come up so often that learning them as fixed blocks pays off immediately.
- empezar a trabajar (to start working — at a job, on a task)
- empezar a estudiar (to start studying)
- empezar a llover / nevar (to start raining / snowing)
- empezar a salir con alguien (to start dating someone)
- empezar a notar / sentir / ver (to begin to notice / feel / see)
- para empezar (to start with — as a discourse marker)
Para empezar, no me parece justo que decidas tú solo.
To start with, I don't think it's fair that you decide on your own.
Empiezo a notar que el ibuprofeno ya me hace efecto.
I'm starting to feel the ibuprofen kicking in.
Common Mistakes
❌ Empiezo estudiar a las ocho.
Incorrect — missing the preposition a after empezar.
✅ Empiezo a estudiar a las ocho.
I start studying at eight.
❌ Empezé a trabajar el lunes.
Incorrect — z must change to c before e in the first person preterite.
✅ Empecé a trabajar el lunes.
I started working on Monday.
❌ Empezamos a el libro ayer.
Incorrect — when the next word is a noun, there is no a.
✅ Empezamos el libro ayer.
We started the book yesterday.
❌ Empezo a entender.
Incorrect — empezar is e → ie stem-changing: empiezo, not empezo.
✅ Empiezo a entender.
I'm starting to understand.
❌ Empezamos a discutiendo.
Incorrect — empezar a takes an infinitive, not a gerund.
✅ Empezamos a discutir.
We started arguing.
Key takeaways
- Empezar a + infinitivo is the everyday Spanish way of saying that something is beginning to happen.
- The a is mandatory; the verb after it is always an infinitive.
- Watch the stem change: empiezo, empiezas, empieza, empiezan (but empezamos, empezáis).
- Watch the spelling in the preterite: empecé in the first person, with c.
- Comenzar a is the more formal twin; ponerse a adds energy or surprise; echar a and romper a are reserved for a handful of fixed verbs.
- When the next element is a noun rather than a verb, drop the a entirely.
Now practice Spanish
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Spanish→Related Topics
- Ponerse a + infinitivo: comenzar enérgicamenteB1 — The colloquial inception periphrasis that adds energy, sudden initiative, or 'finally getting down to it' to whatever you started doing.
- Dejar de + infinitivo: cesaciónA2 — How to say you stopped, quit, or won't stop doing something — dejar de + infinitive is the everyday Spanish way of marking cessation.
- Volver a + infinitivo: repetir una acciónA2 — How to say you did something again — volver a + infinitive is Spanish's elegant alternative to otra vez or de nuevo.
- Verbos seguidos de 'a' + infinitivoB1 — Verbs that lexically require 'a' before an infinitive — empezar a, aprender a, ayudar a, atreverse a — usually involve motion, initiation, learning or commitment toward an action.
- Pretérito indefinido: verbos regulares en -arA2 — The regular -ar preterite — endings -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron — with obligatory accents, the peninsular vosotros form, and the today/not-today rule that governs when to use it in Spain.