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Empecé a hacer el trámite ayer.

Empecé a hacer el trámite ayer.
I started to do the paperwork yesterday.
From Lesson 120:Since and until (desde, hasta)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Empecé a hacer el trámite ayer.

Why is it spelled empecé with a c instead of a z?
The verb is empezar, but Spanish spelling rules generally don't allow the letter z before e or i. So, when we conjugate it in the "yo" (I) form of the past tense, the z changes to a c to keep the same sound. It becomes empecé instead of empezé.
Why do we need the word a before hacer?
In Spanish, the verb empezar (to start) requires the preposition a when it is followed by an infinitive (an unconjugated verb, like hacer). Whenever you want to say you "started doing" or "started to do" something, the pattern is always empezar a + action.
What exactly is a trámite?
It is a very common word in Latin America that refers to a bureaucratic procedure, a process, or official paperwork. You will hear it used for anything from renewing a passport to getting a form stamped at a bank. When you are running this kind of official errand, you are doing a trámite.
Why use the preterite past tense (empecé) here instead of the imperfect (empezaba)?
The word ayer (yesterday) gives us a specific point in time. Because starting the paperwork was a single, completed event that was kicked off yesterday, we use the preterite tense (empecé). The imperfect tense is usually saved for ongoing actions in the past or describing what "used to" happen.

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