Learn Spanish (Latin America): Mañana voy a empezar a practicar tenis y ajedrez. - Tomorrow I am going to start practicing tennis and chess.

Mañana voy a empezar a practicar tenis y ajedrez.

Tomorrow I am going to start practicing tennis and chess.

Breakdown of Mañana voy a empezar a practicar tenis y ajedrez.

Questions & Answers about Mañana voy a empezar a practicar tenis y ajedrez.

Why are there two a's close together in voy a empezar a practicar?

Both voy (from the verb ir) and empezar require the preposition a when they are followed by an infinitive (unconjugated) verb. First, we use voy a + empezar (I am going to start). Then we use the structure from this lesson, empezar a + practicar (to start practicing). Stacking them creates this chain!

Does empezar always need an a after it?

It only needs an a when it is followed by another verb to state what action you are starting. If you are just starting a noun, you drop the a. For example, you say voy a empezar el juego (I am going to start the game) but voy a empezar a jugar (I am going to start playing).

The English translation says 'practicing', so why is it practicar instead of practicando?

In English, we often use '-ing' words after verbs like 'start' or 'finish'. However, in Spanish, the formula is always empezar a + infinitive. You must leave the second verb in its original, unconjugated form (practicar) rather than using the Spanish '-ing' equivalent (practicando).

Why isn't there a word for 'the' before tenis and ajedrez?