comenzaron
koh-men-SAH-rohn
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Los estudiantes comenzaron a escribir su ensayo hace una hora.
A2The students started writing their essay an hour ago.
Ellos no sabían dónde comenzar, pero al final comenzaron el proyecto.
B1They didn't know where to start, but in the end they began the project.
Las campanas comenzaron a sonar justo a medianoche.
A1The bells began to ring right at midnight.
💡 Grammar Points
The Simple Past Tense (Pretérito)
This form ('comenzaron') is used to talk about actions that a group completed at a specific, finished time in the past (e.g., yesterday, last week, at 5:00 PM).
Using 'a' after Comenzar
When you use 'comenzar' followed by another action (another verb), you must connect them using the word 'a': 'Comenzaron a bailar' (They started to dance).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing Past Tenses
Mistake: "Using 'comenzaban' when you mean 'comenzaron'."
Correction: Use 'comenzaron' for a single, complete event ('They started the game at 7:00'). Use 'comenzaban' (imperfect) for ongoing or habitual actions in the past ('They used to start work early').
⭐ Usage Tips
Spelling Change Alert!
Even though 'comenzaron' is regular, watch out for the 'yo' form of the preterite: 'yo comencé'. The 'z' changes to a 'c' before an 'e' sound to keep the pronunciation consistent.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: comenzaron
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'comenzaron'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'comenzaron' and 'empezaron'?
They are perfect synonyms, both meaning 'they started' or 'they began'. You can use them interchangeably in almost all contexts. 'Comenzar' might sound slightly more formal in some regions, but the difference is minimal.
How do I know if I should use 'comenzaron' or 'comenzaban'?
'Comenzaron' (Preterite) is for actions that had a clear beginning and end in the past: 'They started the concert at 8 PM.' 'Comenzaban' (Imperfect) is for repeated or ongoing actions without a clear end: 'They used to start work very early.'