empezado
“empezado” means “started” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
📝 In Action
Ella ya ha empezado la tarea.
A1She has already started the homework.
Habíamos empezado a llover cuando llegaste.
B1It had started raining when you arrived.
Una vez que la película hubo empezado, la sala se oscureció.
C1Once the movie had begun, the room went dark.
started, half-finished
Also: commenced
📝 In Action
Solo tenemos un proyecto empezado.
B1We only have one started (or half-finished) project.
La comida estaba empezada cuando llegaron los invitados.
B2The meal was started (already being eaten) when the guests arrived.
Es una obra empezada que nunca terminaremos.
C1It is a begun work that we will never finish.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: empezado
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'empezado' as a compound verb form?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The verb 'empezar' comes from Old Spanish 'empeçar', which evolved from the Latin prefix *in-* (meaning 'into' or 'in') combined with a word related to 'pezar' (to start or begin). It has always been connected to the idea of initiating an action.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'empezado' and 'comenzado'?
Both mean 'started' or 'begun' and are interchangeable in most contexts. 'Empezar' is generally more common in everyday spoken Spanish, while 'comenzar' can sound slightly more formal, but both are used frequently.
Why does the root verb 'empezar' sometimes change its spelling to 'empiezo'?
The base verb 'empezar' is a stem-changing verb. The 'e' in the stem changes to 'ie' whenever the stress falls on that syllable. This happens in the present tense (like 'yo empiezo') and the present subjunctive.