empiezan
“empiezan” means “they start” in Spanish (referring to a group of people or things (ellos/ellas)).
they start, they beginAlso: you all start
📝 In Action
Los conciertos siempre empiezan muy tarde aquí.
A1The concerts always start very late here.
Ellas empiezan a estudiar para el examen hoy.
A2They are starting to study for the exam today.
Si ustedes no empiezan ahora, no terminaremos a tiempo.
B1If you all don't start now, we won't finish on time.
Word Connections
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "empiezan" in Spanish:
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: empiezan
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses the E > IE stem change of *empezar* for the subject 'Los niños' (The children)?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology
The verb *empezar* comes from the earlier Spanish word *empecar*, which itself evolved from the Vulgar Latin *impetiare*. It originally meant 'to put a piece to something,' or 'to start a portion,' giving us the modern sense of 'to begin.'
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'empezar' have an 'ie' in the middle?
The 'ie' is part of a common Spanish irregularity called a 'stem change.' It happens in the present tense for many verbs where the vowel 'e' changes to 'ie' to keep a strong sound. Think of it as a natural phonetic shift that only applies to certain 'people' (yo, tú, él/ella/usted, and ellos/ellas/ustedes).
Is 'empiezan' the same as 'comienzan'?
Yes, for practical purposes, they mean exactly the same thing ('they start' or 'they begin'). Both verbs are also stem-changing (E > IE). You can use whichever one you prefer, though *empezar* is generally more common in everyday speech.