En general, las juntas empiezan tarde.

Because Spanish often uses the definite article to talk about things in general.

So las juntas means meetings / the meetings in a general sense, not necessarily some specific meetings already mentioned.

This is very common in Spanish:

• Los perros son inteligentes. = Dogs are intelligent.
• Las reuniones son largas. = Meetings are long.

In English, we often drop the article in general statements, but Spanish usually keeps it.

Because the subject is las juntas, which is plural.

• la junta → empieza
• las juntas → empiezan

Spanish verbs have to agree with the subject in number:

• La junta empieza tarde. = The meeting starts late.
• Las juntas empiezan tarde. = Meetings start late.

Spanish often leaves out subject pronouns when they are clear from the verb ending.

Here, empiezan already tells you the subject is they or you all. Since las juntas is already there, adding ellas would be unnecessary.

So Spanish normally says:

• Las juntas empiezan tarde.

not

• Las juntas ellas empiezan tarde. ❌

This is one of the big differences from English.

En general means generally, in general, or as a rule.

It shows that the sentence is talking about a general tendency, not something that happens every single time.

So:

• En general, las juntas empiezan tarde. = In general, meetings start late.

It softens the statement a little and makes it sound less absolute.

Yes. It is flexible.

These are all possible:

• En general, las juntas empiezan tarde.
• Las juntas, en general, empiezan tarde.
• Las juntas empiezan tarde, en general.

The first one is the most neutral and natural in many contexts.

Because tarde here is an adverb, meaning late, not a plural noun or adjective.

Compare:

• empiezan tarde = they start late → adverb
• la tarde = the afternoon → noun

So in this sentence, tarde does not change for number:

• La junta empieza tarde.
• Las juntas empiezan tarde.

It stays tarde in both.

Not always. This is a very useful question.

In Spain, reunión is often the more common everyday word for meeting.

Junta is grammatical, but it often sounds more specific or formal, depending on context. It can suggest things like:

• a board meeting
• a committee meeting
• an official gathering
• an owners’ association meeting

So if you mean a normal work meeting, many speakers would more naturally say:

• En general, las reuniones empiezan tarde.

But juntas can still be correct in the right context.

Both mean start or begin.

• empiezan comes from empezar
• comienzan comes from comenzar

In many situations, both work:

• Las juntas empiezan tarde.
• Las juntas comienzan tarde.

In everyday speech, empezar is often a bit more common and conversational.

Because empezar is a stem-changing verb.

In the present tense, the e in the stem changes to ie in many forms:

• empiezo
• empiezas
• empieza
• empezamos
• empezáis
• empiezan

So:

• Las juntas empiezan tarde.

This is a normal pattern in Spanish. Other verbs do the same thing:

• pensar → piensan
• cerrar → cierran

Not necessarily. Here, the present tense is being used for a habitual or general statement.

So empiezan means something like:

• start
• tend to start
• usually start

This is very common in Spanish and English:

• Los trenes salen temprano. = Trains leave early.
• Las juntas empiezan tarde. = Meetings start late.

It is not limited to the present moment.

Yes, often you can.

For example:

• Normalmente, las juntas empiezan tarde.
• En general, las juntas empiezan tarde.

But there is a slight nuance:

• normalmente = normally / usually
• en general = in general / generally speaking

En general sounds a bit broader and more like a general observation.

A Spain pronunciation would be approximately:

• En general → en heh-neh-RAL
• las juntas → las HOON-tas
• empiezan → em-PYE-than in most of Spain

A few useful pronunciation points:

• j in juntas and general is a strong throaty sound.
• z in empiezan is pronounced like the th in think in most of Spain.
• Stress:
  • ge-ne-RAL
  • JUN-tas
  • em-PIE-zan

In parts of southern Spain and in Latin America, z is usually pronounced like s instead.

In many everyday contexts in Spain, yes, it probably would.

• Las reuniones empiezan tarde sounds more like meetings in the ordinary sense.
• Las juntas empiezan tarde can sound more formal, institutional, or context-specific.

So the best choice depends on what kind of meetings you mean.

It can do either, depending on context.

By itself, it sounds like a general statement about meetings of a certain type:

• En general, las juntas empiezan tarde.

But if the conversation is already about a certain organization, company, or association, las juntas could mean that group’s meetings in a general habitual sense.

So context decides how broad it is.