Breakdown of Mi madre empieza a aprender jardinería hoy.
la madre
the mother
mi
my
hoy
today
a
to
aprender
to learn
empezar
to start / to begin
la jardinería
the gardening
Questions & Answers about Mi madre empieza a aprender jardinería hoy.
Why do we need the word a between empieza and aprender?
In Spanish, the verb empezar (to start) requires the preposition a when it is followed by another verb. The formula for "to start doing something" is always empezar a + an infinitive verb (like aprender). You can't put the two verbs right next to each other without it!
The English translation says "is starting". Why doesn't the Spanish use está empezando?
In Spanish, the simple present tense (like empieza) is much more versatile than in English. It is very commonly used to describe actions happening right now or around the present time. While está empezando is grammatically correct, native speakers often prefer the simpler empieza to mean "is starting."
Why is it spelled empieza with an "ie"? Isn't the verb empezar?
Empezar is a stem-changing verb. In the present tense, the second e in the stem changes to ie for most subjects (like yo empiezo, tú empiezas, ella empieza). The only exceptions are the "we" and "you all" forms, which keep the original vowel (like nosotros empezamos).
Shouldn't it be aprender la jardinería? I thought Spanish used articles for general concepts.
You are right that Spanish usually requires definite articles (el, la, etc.) for abstract nouns and general concepts. However, there is a common exception: when you use verbs about acquiring a skill or knowledge (like aprender, estudiar, or hablar), you usually drop the article. That's why it's just aprender jardinería.
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