Spanish Verbs
Empezar Conjugation
Empezar is a Spanish irregular AR verb meaning "to start" or "to begin". Irregular verbs are verbs which do not follow the standard conjugation patterns of Spanish regular verbs.
Empezar is ranked on the 100 Most Used Spanish Verbs Poster as the #27 most used irregular verb.
Present Tense
Past Tenses
Future Tenses
Subjunctive Tenses
Further Reading
100 Most Used Spanish Verbs Poster w/ Study Guide
A selection of the most used irregular and regular Spanish verb conjugations. A must have for anyone who wants to learn Spanish!
Empezar Conjugation
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | empiezo | I start |
| Tú | empiezas | You start |
| Él/Ella/ |
empieza | He/She starts |
| Nosotros | empezamos | We start |
| Vosotros | empezáis | You (plural) start |
| Ellos/ |
empiezan | They start |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Empezar Participio
The Participio or Past Participle of Empezar is empezado. This is used to form the Empezar Present Perfect and the Empezar Past Perfect.
Empezar Gerundio
The Gerundio or Present Participle of Empezar is empezando. This is used to form the Empezar Present Continuous.
Empezar Present Continuous
The Present Continuous (presente progresivo or presente continuo) is used to describe actions that are happening right now or around now. To form the present continuous tense, combine the Estar conjugation with the Empezar Gerundio (or Present Participle).
Example: Él está siendo muy egoísta últimamente. (He is being very selfish lately.)
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | estoy empezando | I am starting |
| Tú | estás empezando | You are starting |
| Él/Ella/ |
está empezando | He/She is starting |
| Nosotros | estamos empezando | We are starting |
| Vosotros | estáis empezando | You (plural) are starting |
| Ellos/ |
están empezando | They are starting |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topEmpezar Past Tense
Spanish has several past tenses, each serving a specific purpose to express actions in the past.
Additionally, the use of Spanish past tenses can vary significantly across regions due to cultural and linguistic differences.
These are some of the most commonly used Spanish past tenses:
Empezar Preterite
The Preterite Tense (Pretérito or Indefinido) is used for completed actions in the past that have a clear beginning or end.
Example: Ayer comí pizza. (Yesterday, I ate pizza).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | empecé | I started |
| Tú | empezaste | You started |
| Él/Ella/ |
empezó | He/She started |
| Nosotros | empezamos | We started |
| Vosotros | empezasteis | You (plural) started |
| Ellos/ |
empezaron | They started |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topEmpezar Imperfect
The Imperfect Tense (Imperfecto) describes ongoing, habitual, or background actions in the past, often without a defined start or end.
Example: Cuando era niño, jugaba fútbol todos los días. (When I was a child, I used to play soccer every day).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | empezaba | I used to start |
| Tú | empezabas | You used to start |
| Él/Ella/ |
empezaba | He/She used to start |
| Nosotros | empezábamos | We used to start |
| Vosotros | empezabais | You (plural) used to start |
| Ellos/ |
empezaban | They used to start |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topEmpezar Present Perfect
The Present Perfect Tense (Presente Perfecto) is used to describe actions that have been completed recently or have relevance to the present moment. The Present Perfect Tense is formed by combining the Present Tense of the auxiliary verb Haber Conjugation with the Empezar Participio.
Example: He leído ese libro. (I have read that book).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | he empezado | I have started |
| Tú | has empezado | You have started |
| Él/Ella/ |
ha empezado | He/She has started |
| Nosotros | hemos empezado | We have started |
| Vosotros | habéis empezado | You (plural) have started |
| Ellos/ |
han empezado | They have started |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topEmpezar Past Perfect
The Past Perfect Tense (Pluscuamperfecto) refers to actions completed before another action in the past. The Past Perfect Tense is formed by combining the Imperfect Tense of the auxiliary verb Haber Conjugation with the Empezar Participio.
Example: Había comido antes de salir. (I had eaten before leaving).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | había empezado | I had started |
| Tú | habías empezado | You had started |
| Él/Ella/ |
había empezado | He/She had started |
| Nosotros | habíamos empezado | We had started |
| Vosotros | habíais empezado | You (plural) had started |
| Ellos/ |
habían empezado | They had started |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topEmpezar Future Tense
The Future Tense (Futuro) is used to describe actions or events that will happen in the future. It often expresses certainty or plans about what is yet to come.
Example: Mañana comeré pizza. (Tomorrow, I will eat pizza).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | empezaré | I will start |
| Tú | empezarás | You will start |
| Él/Ella/ |
empezará | He/She will start |
| Nosotros | empezaremos | We will start |
| Vosotros | empezaréis | You (plural) will start |
| Ellos/ |
empezarán | They will start |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topEmpezar Conditional Tense
The Conditional Tense (Condicional) is used to express hypothetical situations, polite requests, or actions that depend on other conditions. It is often used in combination with the Future Tense.
Example: Me gustaría un café, por favor.(I would like a coffee, please).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | empezaría | I would start |
| Tú | empezarías | You would start |
| Él/Ella/ |
empezaría | He/She would start |
| Nosotros | empezaríamos | We would start |
| Vosotros | empezaríais | You (plural) would start |
| Ellos/ |
empezarían | They would start |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topEmpezar Subjunctive
The Subjunctive Tense (Subjuntivo) is used to express doubt, uncertainty, desire, or emotion. It is often used in dependent clauses introduced by specific conjunctions or verbs.
Example: Espero que seas feliz. (I hope you are happy).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | empiece | I start |
| Tú | empieces | You start |
| Él/Ella/ |
empiece | He/She starts |
| Nosotros | empecemos | We start |
| Vosotros | empecéis | You (plural) start |
| Ellos/ |
empiecen | They start |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topSpanish Regular Verbs
A verb is called a regular verb when its conjugation follows a consistent and predictable pattern. In contrast, a verb that does not follow these standard patterns is called an irregular verb. In Spanish, the three regular conjugation patterns are based on the verb endings: -AR, -ER, and -IR.
Spanish Conjugation Chart
Looking for more Spanish verbs like Empezar? Check out our Spanish Conjugation Chart, the 100 Most Used Spanish Verbs Poster!
