Starting Actions with "Empezar a"
When you want to talk about taking up a new hobby or starting an activity, use the verb empezar (to start). To say that you are starting to do something, place the preposition a right after the conjugated form of empezar, followed by an infinitive verb.
| I am starting to play the piano at school. | Empiezo a tocar el piano en la escuela. |
| We are starting to practice painting this weekend. | Empezamos a practicar pintura este fin de semana. |
Conjugating "Empezar"
Empezar is a stem-changing verb. The second e changes to ie in all forms except nosotros / nosotras.
| Subject | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | empiezo |
| tú | empiezas |
| él / ella / usted | empieza |
| nosotros / nosotras | empezamos |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | empiezan |
Let's see a few more examples of people starting new hobbies:
| Why don't you start playing tennis with us? | ¿Por qué no empiezas a jugar tenis con nosotros? |
| My grandfather is starting to collect coins from Mexico. | Mi abuelo empieza a coleccionar monedas de México. |
| They start studying photography on Tuesday. | Ellas empiezan a estudiar fotografía el martes. |
Future Plans
You can combine empezar a with ir a (to be going to) to talk about activities you plan to take up soon. Notice how you use the preposition a twice in a row: conjugated ir + a + empezar + a + infinitive!
| Tomorrow I am going to start practicing tennis and chess. | Mañana voy a empezar a practicar tenis y ajedrez. |
| When are you going to start learning photography? | ¿Cuándo vas a empezar a aprender fotografía? |
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