empezar
to start
To initiate an action or event
Encoding Strategies:
mnemonic
impetus
driving force
+
-ar
verb suffix
Empezar means to start and sounds like the English word impetus0 turned into a verb1, because starting something is the driving force0 that sets it in motion.
empezar
to start, to begin
To start or begin an action, event, or situation.
- La película empieza a las ocho = The movie starts at eight
- Empezamos la reunión sin él = We began the meeting without him
empezar a [verb]
to start (to start doing something)
To start a specific action, where the 'a' is directional and points towards the action you are starting.
- Voy a empezar a estudiar = I’m going to start studying
- De repente, empezó a llover muy fuerte = Suddenly, it started to rain very heavily
empezar por [verb]
to start by, to begin with
To start by doing something first, which implies a sequence or order of steps. The 'por' describes the means by which something starts, similar to the English phrases "to start by way of" or "to start through."
- Vamos a empezar por revisar el informe = Let's begin with reviewing the report
- Empecé por limpiar la cocina = I started by cleaning the kitchen