La entradilla empieza con la sintonía.

Questions & Answers about La entradilla empieza con la sintonía.

Why is it la entradilla and not just entradilla?

In Spanish, definite articles like el / la / los / las are used more often than the is in English.

Here, la entradilla refers to a specific intro/lead-in, so Spanish naturally uses the article. In many contexts, leaving it out would sound less natural or incomplete.

So Spanish often says:

  • La película empieza... = The film starts...
  • La clase termina... = The class ends...
  • La entradilla empieza... = The intro starts...

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

What exactly does entradilla mean?

Entradilla is a feminine noun often used in media, journalism, radio, or TV.

It can mean something like:

  • an intro
  • a lead-in
  • an opening bit
  • in journalism, sometimes a standfirst or introductory paragraph

In this sentence, it most likely refers to the opening section of a programme, segment, or piece, especially in a broadcasting context.

It comes from entrada and uses the diminutive ending -illa, but here it is a fixed word, not necessarily a literal little entrance.

Why is it empieza? What verb is that from?

Empieza comes from the verb empezar, which means to begin or to start.

This is the third person singular form in the present tense:

  • yo empiezo
  • tú empiezas
  • él / ella / usted empieza

Since la entradilla is singular, the verb also has to be singular:

  • La entradilla empieza... = The intro starts...
Why does empezar change to empieza instead of empeza?

Because empezar is a stem-changing verb.

In the present tense, its e changes to ie in most forms:

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

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

Other verbs do the same:

Could you also say La entradilla comienza con la sintonía?

Yes. Comenzar and empezar both mean to begin / to start, and in this sentence they are very close in meaning.

So both are natural:

  • La entradilla empieza con la sintonía.
  • La entradilla comienza con la sintonía.

Sometimes comenzar can sound slightly more formal or polished, but in many everyday situations they are interchangeable.

What does con mean here?

Here, con means with.

So empieza con means:

  • starts with
  • begins with

Examples:

  • La película empieza con una escena de acción. = The film starts with an action scene.
  • La canción empieza con piano. = The song starts with piano.

So in your sentence, con la sintonía tells you what the intro begins with.

What does sintonía mean in this kind of sentence?

In Spain, sintonía often means the theme tune, signature tune, or opening music of a radio or TV programme.

It does not just mean any melody in a general sense. In media contexts, it often refers specifically to the recognisable music associated with a show.

So here la sintonía is probably:

  • the programme’s theme music
  • the opening tune
  • the jingle or signature music
Why is it la sintonía and not una sintonía?

Because it is probably referring to a specific, known theme tune.

La sintonía suggests:

  • the theme tune
  • the one associated with that programme or segment

If you said una sintonía, it would sound more like:

  • a theme tune
  • some tune, not necessarily a specific known one

Spanish often uses the definite article when the speaker and listener can identify what is being referred to.

How is sintonía pronounced in Spain?

In standard Peninsular Spanish, sintonía is pronounced approximately:

seen-toh-NEE-ah

A few useful points:

  • The stress is on -ní-: sintonía
  • The í shows where the stress goes.
  • In Spain, the t is a clear dental t, not strongly aspirated like in English.
  • The final -ía is pronounced in two syllables: NEE-ah

So it is roughly: sin-to-ní-a

How is empieza pronounced in Spain?

In Spain, empieza is approximately:

em-PYEH-tha

Key details:

  • Stress is on pie: emPIEza
  • The ie sounds like yeh
  • In most of Spain, z is pronounced like the th in thin
  • In much of Latin America, it would sound more like s

So:

  • Spain: em-PYEH-tha
  • Many Latin American accents: em-PYEH-sa
Is the word order special here, or is it just normal Spanish word order?

It is normal Spanish word order.

The structure is:

  • La entradilla = subject
  • empieza = verb
  • con la sintonía = prepositional phrase

So it follows a very common pattern:

Subject + verb + complement

Just like:

  • La clase empieza a las nueve.
  • El programa empieza con un resumen.
  • La entradilla empieza con la sintonía.

Nothing unusual is happening with the syntax here.

AI Language TutorTry it ↗
Your avatar
“What's the best way to learn Spanish grammar?”
Spanish grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Spanish

Master Spanish — from La entradilla empieza con la sintonía to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions