empezaste
em-peh-ZAS-teh
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
¿A qué hora empezaste la reunión?
A1What time did you start the meeting?
Empezaste a correr hace un mes, ¿verdad?
A2You started running a month ago, right?
Cuando empezaste a hablar, todos escucharon.
B1When you started talking, everyone listened.
💡 Grammar Points
Action Completed in the Past
This form ('empezaste') tells us that the action of starting was finished at a specific point in the past. It's the simple past tense, used for single, completed events.
Using 'A' before the next verb
When you start doing something, you must use the little word 'a' right after 'empezar': 'Empezaste a estudiar' (You started to study).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Preterite vs. Imperfect
Mistake: "Using 'empezabas' when talking about a specific start time, e.g., 'Ayer, empezabas a llover.'"
Correction: Use 'empezaste' (Ayer, empezó a llover). 'Empezabas' (Imperfect) describes an ongoing state or a repeated action in the past, not a single, sharp beginning.
⭐ Usage Tips
Remember the 'Tú' form
The '-aste' ending is the classic signal for the 'tú' (you, informal) subject in the simple past tense for all '-ar' verbs. If you see '-aste', you know who did the action.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: empezaste
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'empezaste'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'empezaste' used for formal situations?
No. 'Empezaste' uses the 'tú' form, which is informal (used with friends, family, or children). If you need to speak formally to an adult or superior, you would use 'usted' and say 'empezó'.
Why does the infinitive 'empezar' have an 'e' but the preterite 'empecé' has a 'c' changing to a 'z'?
The base verb *empezar* is spelled with a 'z'. However, in the 'yo' form of the preterite ('empecé'), Spanish spelling rules require the 'z' to change to a 'c' before the letter 'e' to maintain the correct 's' sound. Since 'empezaste' is before an 'a', the 'z' stays.