Breakdown of Mi abuelo empieza a coleccionar monedas de México.
de
from / of
México
Mexico
el abuelo
the grandfather
mi
my
a
to
empezar
to start / to begin
coleccionar
to collect
la moneda
the coin
Questions & Answers about Mi abuelo empieza a coleccionar monedas de México.
Why do we need the word a between empieza and coleccionar?
In Spanish, when you use the verb empezar (to start or begin) right before another action, you must always connect them with the preposition a. The grammatical formula is empezar a + [infinitive verb]. Because coleccionar (to collect) is the action being started, the a is required to link them.
The English translation says "is starting," so why doesn't the Spanish use está empezando?
In Spanish, the simple present tense (empieza) is frequently used for actions happening right now, whereas English usually prefers the "-ing" form (is starting). While you could say está empezando a coleccionar, using the simple present tense is often much more natural and common in everyday Spanish.
Why is it spelled empieza and not empeza?
Could I use the verb comenzar instead of empezar in this sentence?
Yes! Comenzar and empezar both mean "to start" or "to begin," and they are completely interchangeable here. Just remember that comenzar follows the exact same rules: it has an e to ie stem change, and it also requires the preposition a before an infinitive. So, you could say: Mi abuelo comienza a coleccionar...
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