Empiezo a estudiar español por la mañana.

I start to study Spanish in the morning.

Breakdown of Empiezo a estudiar español por la mañana.

• yo: I
• la mañana: the morning
• español: Spanish
• a: to

Questions & Answers about Empiezo a estudiar español por la mañana.

Why is there no yo in the sentence? Shouldn’t it be Yo empiezo a estudiar…?

In Spanish, subject pronouns (yo, tú, él, ella, etc.) are often dropped because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

• Empiezo can only be yo (I) in the present tense.

• Adding yo is only needed for emphasis or contrast:

  • Yo empiezo a estudiar español por la mañana, pero ella estudia por la noche.
    I start studying Spanish in the morning, but she studies at night.

So Empiezo a estudiar español por la mañana is perfectly natural and actually more typical than Yo empiezo… in neutral, everyday Spanish.

Why do we say empiezo a estudiar and not empiezo estudiar?

With verbs like empezar and comenzar, Spanish normally uses the pattern:

empezar a + infinitive
(to start / begin to do something)

So:

• Empiezo a estudiar. = I start to study.
• Empieza a trabajar. = He/She starts to work.
• Empezamos a leer. = We start to read.

Using empiezo estudiar (without a) is generally incorrect in standard Spanish.
Think of a here as part of the construction empezar a + verb.

What’s the difference between empezar and comenzar? Could I say Comienzo a estudiar español por la mañana?