Spanish Conversation · Level 55
75 words
Spanish word
comenzar
Pronunciation
IPA/komenˈθaɾ/
Meaning
- verbstart
Example
¿Comenzamos ahora?
Shall we start now?
More examples
Ella va a comenzar a estudiar mañana.
She is going to start studying tomorrow.
Core concept
The moment an activity is put underway.
Common phrases
comenzar a estudiar
start studying
comenzar la clase
start the class
comenzar desde cero
start from scratch
Similar words
empezar: Starts an action or event, used in everyday conversation.
ponerse: Starts by getting mentally or physically ready and then moving into action.
Definition in Spanish
Iniciar o dar principio a algo, con énfasis en el acto de ponerse en marcha.
Word origin
Comes from Vulgar Latin *cominitiare, formed with the prefix com- and Latin initium 'beginning', and appears in Old Spanish as comenzar.
Usage tips
- Comenzar tends to sound more formal than empezar, so empezar is more frequent in everyday conversation while comenzar suits formal or written contexts.