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Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Hoy empieza la evaluación. - Today the evaluation starts.

Hardcore Spanish (Latin America)
/Reviewing performance at work
/Hoy empieza la evaluación.

Hoy empieza la evaluación.

Word

Hoy empieza la evaluación.

Meaning

Today the evaluation starts.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Spanish (Latin America)

Lesson

Reviewing performance at work

Breakdown of Hoy empieza la evaluación.

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Questions & Answers about Hoy empieza la evaluación.

Why is it empieza and not empeza?

Because the verb is empezar and it is a stem-changing verb in the present tense.

empezar = to begin, to start
In the present tense, the e in the stem changes to ie in most forms:
- yo empiezo
- tú empiezas
- él/ella/usted empieza
- nosotros empezamos
- ellos/ellas/ustedes empiezan

So Hoy empieza la evaluación uses the él/ella/usted form because the subject is la evaluación.

Why is the verb in the present tense if the sentence talks about something happening today?

In Spanish, the present tense is often used for scheduled or near-future events, especially when a time word like hoy makes the timing clear.

So Hoy empieza la evaluación literally looks like Today the evaluation begins, but in natural English it can mean:

The evaluation starts today
The evaluation is starting today
The evaluation begins today

This is very normal in both Spanish and English for scheduled events.

Why is there a la before evaluación?

Because evaluación is a feminine singular noun, and here it refers to a specific evaluation.

la evaluación = the evaluation
una evaluación = an evaluation

Spanish uses articles very regularly. In this sentence, la suggests the speaker and listener know which evaluation is being talked about.

Is evaluación feminine? How can I tell?

Yes, evaluación is feminine.

A very useful pattern is that nouns ending in -ción are usually feminine:

la evaluación
la situación
la información
la lección

So it takes feminine articles and adjectives.

Can I also say La evaluación empieza hoy?

Yes. That is completely correct and very natural.

Both mean the same thing:

Hoy empieza la evaluación
La evaluación empieza hoy

The difference is mainly emphasis:

Hoy empieza la evaluación emphasizes today
La evaluación empieza hoy emphasizes the evaluation

Spanish word order is often more flexible than English.

Could I use comienza instead of empieza?

Yes. Comienza comes from comenzar, which also means to begin.

So you can say:

Hoy empieza la evaluación
Hoy comienza la evaluación

Both are correct. In many everyday situations, empezar feels a bit more common and conversational, but both are standard.

Why doesn’t empieza use a, as in empieza a?

Because empezar a is used when the next word is a verb in the infinitive.

Empieza a estudiar = He/She starts studying
Empiezan a trabajar = They start working

But in Hoy empieza la evaluación, the thing that begins is a noun phrase, la evaluación, not another verb. So no a is needed.

What exactly is the subject of the sentence?

The subject is la evaluación.

That is why the verb is singular:

la evaluación empieza = the evaluation begins

Even though hoy comes first, hoy is just a time expression, not the subject.

What does the accent mark in evaluación do?

The accent mark shows where the stress goes: e-va-lua-CIÓN.

Without the accent, the pronunciation and spelling rules would suggest a different stress pattern. The written accent tells you that the stress falls on the last syllable.

This is also very common with nouns ending in -ción:

nación
información
educación
evaluación

Is hoy always placed at the beginning?

No. Hoy can move depending on style and emphasis.

All of these are possible:

Hoy empieza la evaluación
La evaluación empieza hoy

The first one sounds a little more like Today, the evaluation begins. The second one sounds a little more like The evaluation begins today.

Could evaluación mean something other than a school test?

Yes. Evaluación is broader than just a classroom test.

Depending on context, it could mean:

an assessment
an evaluation
a review
a testing process

So Hoy empieza la evaluación could be about school, work, a medical process, training, or another formal assessment situation. The exact meaning depends on context.

Can empieza mean both starts and begins?

Yes. In this sentence, empieza can be translated as either starts or begins.

Hoy empieza la evaluación = The evaluation starts today
Hoy empieza la evaluación = The evaluation begins today

In everyday English, starts is often a little more common and natural, but both are correct.

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