Questions & Answers about Es probable que yo empiece el mío hoy.
Why is it empiece instead of empiezo here?
The phrase es probable que (it is probable that) expresses uncertainty, which triggers the subjunctive mood. Because of this, we use the subjunctive form empiece instead of the regular present tense empiezo.
The verb is empezar. Where did the "c" in empiece come from?
In Spanish, the letter z changes to c when it comes before an e. Since the subjunctive endings for -ar verbs start with e, empezar changes its spelling to empiece. It also keeps the stem-change from e to ie, just like in the regular present tense.
The English translation says "I will start", but isn't empiece present tense?
Yes, empiece is the present subjunctive! However, the present subjunctive in Spanish is often used to talk about things happening in the future, especially after expressions like es probable que. In English, we usually translate this naturally using "will".
Why does it say el mío instead of just mío?