How to Say "to commence" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to commence” is “empezar” — use 'empezar' for the general, everyday start of an action, event, or class..
empezar
/em-peh-SAR//em.peˈsaɾ/
Examples
La clase empieza a las nueve.
The class starts at nine.
¿A qué hora empieza la película?
What time does the movie start?
Empecé un nuevo trabajo la semana pasada.
I started a new job last week.
The 'e' to 'ie' Change
In the present tense, the 'e' in 'empezar' changes to 'ie' for most forms (yo, tú, él, ellos). Notice how 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' keep the original 'e'. Think of it as a 'boot verb' because the forms that change make a boot shape in the conjugation chart!
The 'z' to 'c' Spelling Rule
To keep the right sound, the letter 'z' changes to 'c' before an 'e'. You'll see this in the 'yo' form of the preterite past tense ('empecé') and all forms of the present subjunctive ('empiece', 'empieces', etc.).
Forgetting the Stem Change
Mistake: “Yo *empezo* la tarea.”
Correction: Yo *empiezo* la tarea. Don't forget that the 'e' changes to 'ie' in the present tense for most forms.
comenzar
koh-men-SAR/ko.menˈsaɾ/
Examples
La construcción comenzará en el verano.
The construction will commence in the summer.
Su nueva etapa profesional comenzó con un cambio de ciudad.
His new professional phase started with a change of city.
El debate tiene que comenzar con un resumen de las reglas.
The debate must begin with a summary of the rules.
Starting Impersonally
When talking about time or weather, the subject is often the event itself (e.g., 'La lluvia comienza'), making it easy to use the 'él/ella' form.
'Empezar' vs. 'Comenzar'
Related Translations
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