emprender

to undertake

verb em-pren-DEHR Less Common

Origin: From Latin imprehendere (to seize, to take on).

Also means

to set out on

Usage Note

Emprender is used for starting a journey, project, or business venture: emprender un viaje, emprender un negocio. The noun emprendedor/emprendedora (entrepreneur) comes from the same root, and el emprendimiento or la empresa refers to the venture itself. It is a regular -er verb. Distinct from comenzar (to begin), emprender carries the connotation of initiative and effort.

Examples

"Decidió emprender su propio negocio."

Natural Translation

She decided to start her own business.

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