Inklingo

How to Say "we begin" in Spanish

English → Spanish

comenzamos

/koh-men-THAH-mohs//ko.menˈθa.mos/

Verb (Conjugated Form)A1
Use 'comenzamos' when you want to indicate the start of an action, often with a sense of initiating something, like starting a journey or a task.
Three cheerful characters, side-by-side, stepping over a white starting line onto a bright green path, symbolizing the beginning of a journey.

Examples

Si todos están listos, comenzamos ahora mismo.

If everyone is ready, we are starting right now.

¡La película es a las ocho! ¿Comenzamos a caminar?

The movie is at eight! Shall we start walking?

Cada mañana, comenzamos el día con un café fuerte.

Every morning, we start the day with a strong coffee.

Ahora que todos están aquí, comenzamos la presentación.

Now that everyone is here, we are starting the presentation.

It's the 'We' Form

'Comenzamos' is the action done by 'nosotros' (we). It means 'we start' or 'we begin' right now or as a habit.

No Vowel Change Here

Even though the base verb 'comenzar' usually changes 'e' to 'ie' (like 'yo comienzo'), the 'nosotros' (we) form is regular and keeps the original 'e': 'comenzamos'.

Mixing up 'We Start' tenses

Mistake: “Using 'comenzamos' when talking about the future, e.g., 'Mañana comenzamos la dieta.'”

Correction: 'Comenzamos' is perfectly fine to use for near future plans in Spanish, even though it's technically the present tense. It works just like English: 'Tomorrow, we start the diet.'

empezamos

em-peh-SAH-mos/em.peˈsa.mos/

Verb (Conjugated Form)A1
Use 'empezamos' to signify the beginning of an event or activity, often implying the immediate commencement of something already planned or expected.
A simple storybook illustration showing three stylized figures standing shoulder-to-shoulder just behind a bright yellow starting line marked on a grassy field, indicating that they are about to begin an activity.

Examples

¡La película es a las ocho! ¿Empezamos a caminar?

The movie is at eight! Shall we start walking?

Si todos están listos, empezamos ahora mismo.

If everyone is ready, we are starting right now.

Empezamos a estudiar español hace tres meses.

We started studying Spanish three months ago.

Cada mañana, empezamos el día con un café.

Every morning, we begin the day with a coffee.

Two Tenses, One Word

The form 'empezamos' is special because it means both 'we start' (Present Tense) and 'we started' (Past Simple Tense). You need context to know which one is correct!

The Stem Change Rule

The base verb 'empezar' is a stem-changer (E changes to IE), but 'nosotros' (we) and 'vosotros' (you all, informal) are exceptions and keep the original 'e' sound.

Confusing 'empezamos' and 'empecemos'

Mistake: “Using 'Empezamos a estudiar' when suggesting 'Let's start studying.'”

Correction: For suggestions ('Let's...'), you must use the special form 'empecemos' (Subjunctive/Imperative), not 'empezamos'.

Interchangeability and Nuance

Learners often wonder if there's a strict rule between 'comenzamos' and 'empezamos'. While they are largely interchangeable, 'comenzar' can sometimes feel slightly more formal or imply the initiation of a new phase, whereas 'empezar' is very common for the immediate start of any activity.

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