Breakdown of Podemos asignar la tarea antes de que el proveedor empiece el trabajo.
de
from / of
el trabajo
work
empezar
to start / to begin
poder
to be able to / can
que
that / than
la tarea
the homework
antes
before / earlier
asignar
to assign
el proveedor
the supplier / the vendor
Questions & Answers about Podemos asignar la tarea antes de que el proveedor empiece el trabajo.
Why do we use the subjunctive "empiece" here instead of "empieza"?
The phrase antes de que (before) always triggers the subjunctive in Spanish. It introduces an action that hasn't happened yet at the time of the main event. Since we are anticipating the supplier starting the work, we must use the subjunctive empiece.
Why couldn't we just use the infinitive and say "antes de empezar"?
You can only use antes de plus an infinitive when the person doing both actions is the exact same (for example, "We assign the task before we begin"). In this sentence, the subject changes from "we" (podemos) to "the supplier" (el proveedor). Whenever the subject changes, you must use antes de que followed by the subjunctive.
Why is "empiece" spelled with a "c" instead of a "z"?
The base verb is empezar. To form the present subjunctive, the ending changes to an e. In Spanish spelling rules, a z always changes to a c when it comes right before an e. This keeps the pronunciation consistent, resulting in empiece (you also see a stem change from e to ie).
What is the difference between "tarea" and "trabajo" in this sentence?
Learn Podemos asignar la tarea antes de que el proveedor empiece el trabajo and more in Spanish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free