How to Say "begins" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “begins” is “comienza” — A1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
El partido de fútbol comienza a las cinco de la tarde.
The soccer game starts at five in the afternoon.
Ella siempre comienza el día con un café fuerte.
She always starts the day with a strong coffee.
¡Comienza tu tarea antes de que sea demasiado tarde!
Start your homework before it's too late!
Stem Change: E to IE
This verb is special! The 'e' in the middle changes to 'ie' in most present tense forms, like 'comienza,' but not in the 'we' (nosotros) or 'you all' (vosotros) forms.
Indicative vs. Imperative
'Comienza' can be two things: 'He/She/It starts' (stating a fact) or 'Start!' (giving an informal command to 'tú'). Context is key to telling them apart.
Forgetting the Stem Change
Mistake: “La película comenza ahora.”
Correction: La película comienza ahora. Remember to change that 'e' to 'ie' to make it sound natural.
Spelling in the Past (Yo form)
Mistake: “Yo comenzé mi dieta el lunes.”
Correction: Yo comencé mi dieta el lunes. The 'z' must change to a 'c' before 'e' to keep the soft 's' sound.
Related Translations
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