empiezan
“empiezan” means “they start” in Spanish (referring to a group of people or things (ellos/ellas)).
they start, they begin
Also: 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.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
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✏️ 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.