Breakdown of Mañana empezamos a trabajar en el proyecto.
trabajar
to work
en
in / on / by (means of transport) / about (after pensar)
a
to
mañana
tomorrow
empezar
to begin
el proyecto
the project
Questions & Answers about Mañana empezamos a trabajar en el proyecto.
Why is there an a between empezamos and trabajar?
In Spanish, when you want to say you start doing something, you use the verb empezar, followed by the preposition a, and then the action in its infinitive (unconjugated) form. That is why it is empezamos a trabajar and never just empezamos trabajar.
The English translation uses the word working, so why isn't it translated as trabajando?
Why is empezamos in the present tense if the sentence happens Mañana?
Just like in English when we say tomorrow we start, Spanish often uses the present tense to talk about future events that are scheduled or definitely planned. You could also say vamos a empezar, but the simple present tense is very common and natural for plans like this.
Why does it say en el proyecto instead of a different word for on?
Prepositions rarely translate word-for-word. In English, you work on a project, but in Spanish, the verb trabajar is naturally followed by en when talking about the task or project you are dedicating your effort to.
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