comenzar Negative Imperative Conjugation
comenzar — to start
The negative imperative of comenzar uses the present subjunctive forms: no comiences, no comience, no comencemos, no comencéis, no comiencen.
comenzar Negative Imperative Forms
When to Use the Negative Imperative
Use this to tell someone NOT to start something yet.
Notes on comenzar in the Negative Imperative
Since it uses subjunctive forms, it includes both the e>ie stem change (except nosotros/vosotros) and the z>c spelling change.
Example Sentences
No comiences sin mí.
Don't start without me.
tú
No comiencen la cena todavía.
Don't start dinner yet.
ustedes
No comencemos el examen aún.
Let's not start the exam yet.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Saying 'no comienza' for the tú command.
Correct: no comiences
Why: Negative commands must use the subjunctive form, not the indicative.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: comienzo
Comenzar is a stem-changing verb where 'e' becomes 'ie': comienzo, comienzas, comienza, comenzamos, comenzáis, comienzan.
Preterite
yo: comencé
The preterite of comenzar has a spelling change in the first person: comencé, comenzaste, comenzó, comenzamos, comenzasteis, comenzaron.
Imperfect
yo: comenzaba
The imperfect of comenzar is regular: comenzaba, comenzabas, comenzaba, comenzábamos, comenzabais, comenzaban.
Future
yo: comenzaré
The future of comenzar is regular: comenzaré, comenzarás, comenzará, comenzaremos, comenzaréis, comenzarán.
Conditional
yo: comenzaría
The conditional of comenzar is regular: comenzaría, comenzarías, comenzaría, comenzaríamos, comenzaríais, comenzarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: comience
The present subjunctive of comenzar follows the e>ie stem change and the z>c spelling change: comience, comiences, comience, comencemos, comencéis, comiencen.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: comenzara
The imperfect subjunctive of comenzar is regular based on the third-person preterite: comenzara, comenzaras, comenzara, comenzáramos, comenzarais, comenzaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: comienza
The imperative of comenzar uses the stem change for informal commands: comienza (tú), comience (usted), comencemos (nosotros), comenzad (vosotros), comiencen (ustedes).