La ronda empieza ahora.

Because empieza is the conjugated form of the verb empezar.

In this sentence, the subject is la ronda (the round), which is third-person singular, so Spanish uses:

• empezar = to begin / to start
• empieza = begins / starts

So La ronda empieza ahora literally matches The round begins now.

This is a very common Spanish stem change.

Empezar is an e → ie verb, which means the e in the stem changes to ie in many present-tense forms:

• yo empiezo
• tú empiezas
• él/ella empieza
• nosotros empezamos
• ellos empiezan

Notice that nosotros and vosotros keep e, but forms like empieza use ie.

So empieza is not irregular in a random way—it follows a common pattern.

Spanish usually uses the definite article more often than English.

Here, la ronda means the round, referring to a specific round that both speaker and listener know about.

In many contexts, Spanish sounds more natural with the article:

• La clase empieza ahora = Class starts now
• La película empieza ahora = The movie starts now

Even when English might sometimes drop the, Spanish often keeps it.

Also, ronda is a feminine noun, so the article is la, not el.

Ronda can mean several things depending on context. Common meanings include:

• a round in a game or competition
• a round of turns
• a patrol
• a round of drinks

In La ronda empieza ahora, it most naturally means the round—for example in a game, contest, or activity.

So the exact English word depends on the situation, even though the grammar stays the same.

Yes. Comienza from comenzar is very similar to empieza from empezar.

Both mean begins/starts:

• La ronda empieza ahora
• La ronda comienza ahora

In most everyday situations, they are interchangeable.

A small nuance:

• empezar often feels a bit more common in casual speech
• comenzar can sound slightly more formal in some contexts

But both are completely natural in Latin American Spanish.

Spanish often uses the present tense for things happening now or for an immediate scheduled action.

So La ronda empieza ahora can mean:

• The round is starting now
• The round starts now

This works just like English, where the simple present can also be used for announcements or scheduled events:

• The show starts now
• Boarding begins now

So the tense choice is very natural.

Yes. Spanish word order is flexible.

The most neutral version here is:

• La ronda empieza ahora

But you could also hear:

• Ahora empieza la ronda
• La ronda ahora empieza

These alternatives can shift the emphasis:

• Ahora empieza la ronda puts more focus on now
• La ronda empieza ahora sounds straightforward and neutral

For a learner, La ronda empieza ahora is the safest and most natural default.

A simple pronunciation guide:

• ronda ≈ RON-dah
• empieza ≈ em-PYEH-sah

A few important details:

• In ronda, the r comes after n, so it is pronounced with a stronger rolled/trilled r sound.
• In most of Latin America, the z in empieza sounds like s, so empieza sounds like em-PYEH-sa.
• The stress is:
  • RON-da
  • em-PIE-za

Usually yes, if you simply mean now.

• ahora = now

But in Spanish, ya can sometimes also relate to now, depending on context:

• Empieza ahora = It starts now
• Ya empieza = It’s starting now / It’s starting already

The difference is that ya often adds a sense like already, at this point, or right away, while ahora is the straightforward time word now.

So in this sentence, ahora is the clearest and most direct choice.

Yes, if the context makes it clear what is starting.

Spanish often drops the subject when it is understood:

• Empieza ahora = It starts now / It begins now

But including La ronda makes the sentence clearer and more complete, especially if you are announcing what is beginning.

So both are possible:

• La ronda empieza ahora = explicit
• Empieza ahora = natural when the subject is obvious

Yes. The ending -a tells you this is the él/ella/usted form in the present tense.

Since la ronda is a singular noun, Spanish treats it like ella for agreement purposes:

• la ronda → empieza

Compare:

• La ronda empieza = The round begins
• Las rondas empiezan = The rounds begin

So the verb form changes to match whether the subject is singular or plural.