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empezar

to start

verb em-peh-SAHR Common

Also means

to begin

Usage Note

Empezar is an e->ie stem-changing verb (empiezo, empiezas...) and has the spelling change empecé in the preterite first person. It is virtually synonymous with comenzar, though empezar is slightly more colloquial. Both take a + infinitive to mean 'to start doing' (empecé a correr = I started running).

Examples

"La película empieza a las ocho."

Natural Translation

The film starts at eight.

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