Empezar Conjugation | How to Conjugate Empezar in Spanish

¡Hola! ¿Quieres empezar a aprender español? In this article, I’ll show you all the conjugations of the verb empezar. You’ll learn how to conjugate empezar in the different Spanish tenses, and we’ll also see some example sentences to help you practice.

Empezar means “to begin” or “to start.” This slightly irregular verb is used to indicate when an event is starting or when someone is beginning to do something. It can be used with tangible and intangible objects like feelings and the weather. For example, you can use empezar to say, “Está empezando a llover,” which means, “It’s starting to rain.”

The table below shows three common conjugations of the verb empezar: the infinitive, the gerund, and the past participle.

Here are three example sentences that use the conjugations of empezar from the table above:

• Infinitive: Para empezar a usar la máquina, presione el botón. (To begin using the machine, press the button.)
• Gerund: Estoy empezando a pensar que este no es el camino correcto. (I’m beginning to think this is not the right path)
• Past Participle: La competencia debió haber empezado hace una hora. (The competition should have begun an hour ago.)

Now, we will learn all the conjugations for empezar. The table below shows the different Spanish verb tenses. You can click on each one of them to see empezar conjugated in that tense.

How to Conjugate Empezar in Indicative Tense

In Spanish, we use the indicative mood to talk about facts, habits, or descriptions. This is one of the most common moods and you will find it in statements about the past, present, and future. We’ll study these indicative tenses: present, future, preterite, imperfect, and conditional. 

Indicative Present

The indicative present tense lets us describe present and future events. In the case of the verb empezar, we can use its indicative present conjugations to tell others what action or event begins at the current time. For example, you can say, “Ella empieza su presentación con un saludo” which means, “She begins her presentation with a greeting.”

Here’s the conjugation chart for empezar in the indicative present tense:

Pronoun	Empezar Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	empiezo	I begin
Tú	empiezas	You begin
Vos	empezás	You begin
Él/Ella/Usted	empieza	He/She begins, You begin
Nosotros	empezamos	We begin
Vosotros	empezáis	You begin
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	empiezan	They/You begin

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate empezar in the indicative present tense:

• Tú empiezas tus tareas temprano. / You begin your homework early.
• Ustedes empiezan a trabajar hoy. / You begin to work today.
• Ella empieza su viaje esta tarde. / She begins her journey this afternoon.

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Indicative Future

We use the indicative future tense to talk about events that will take place at a later time. You can use empezar in this tense to point out when something will begin. For example, you can say, “A las 3:00 pm, él empezará el programa,” which means, “At 3:00 pm, he will begin the program.” 

You can find the conjugation chart for empezar in the indicative future tense below:

Pronoun	Empezar Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	empezaré	I will begin
Tú	empezarás	You will begin
Vos	empezarás	You will begin
Él/Ella/Usted	empezará	He/She/You will begin
Nosotros	empezaremos	We will begin
Vosotros	empezaréis	You will begin
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	empezarán	They/You will begin

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate empezar in the indicative future tense:

• Empezaré la demostración con un experimento. / I will begin the demonstration with an experiment.
• Ellos Empezarán el curso de francés el jueves. / They will begin the French course on Thursday.
• Vos empezarás a ayudar a lavar los platos. / You will begin helping to wash the dishes.

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Indicative Preterite

With the indicative preterite tense, we can describe actions or events in the past. The indicative preterite form of empezar can be used to tell others when you began an action. It can be used with specific or non-specific timeframes. For example, you can say, “Empezó a pintar la pared el año pasado,” which means, “He began painting the wall last year.”

Below, you can find the indicative preterite conjugation table for the verb empezar:

Pronoun	Empezar Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	empecé	I began
Tú	empezaste	You began
Vos	empezaste	You began
Él/Ella/Usted	empezó	He/She/You began
Nosotros	empezamos	We began
Vosotros	empezasteis	You began
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	empezaron	They/You began

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate empezar in the indicative preterite tense:

• Empezamos a notar que en verdad era amigable. / We began noticing that he really was friendly.
• Ellos empezaron a faltar a clase. / They began skipping school.
• Vos empezaste a estudiar más duro para los exámenes. / You began studying harder for the exams. 

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Indicative Imperfect

The indicative imperfect tense is used to talk about ongoing past actions. You can use empezar in this tense to remember an action you used to begin in the past. For example, you can say, “El perro empezaba a mover la cola cada vez que lo veía” which means, “The dog used to begin wagging his tail every time he saw him.” 

Here’s the conjugation chart for empezar in the indicative imperfect tense:

Pronoun	Empezar Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	empezaba	I used to begin
Tú	empezabas	You used to begin
Vos	empezabas	You used to begin
Él/Ella/Usted	empezaba	He/She/You used to begin
Nosotros	empezábamos	We used to begin
Vosotros	empezabais	You used to begin
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	empezaban	They/You used to begin

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate empezar in the indicative imperfect tense:

• Ella empezaba sus días muy temprano y se iba a dormir tarde. / She used to begin her days early and go to sleep late.
• Vosotros empezabais el colegio en Marzo, pero ahora empezais en Febrero. / You used to begin school in March, but now you start in February.
• Yo empezaba a escribir un diario nuevo cada año. / I used to begin writing a new diary every year.

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Indicative Conditional

We use the indicative conditional tense to create theories or hypotheses. You can use empezar in this tense to tell others what you would begin to do in a hypothetical event. For example, you can say, “Si me cayera al mar, empezaría a nadar” which means, “If I fell into the sea, I would begin swimming.”

You can find the conjugation table for empezar in the indicative conditional tense below: 

Pronoun	Empezar Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	empezaría	I would begin
Tú	empezarías	You would begin
Vos	empezarías	You would begin
Él/Ella/Usted	empezaría	He/She/You would begin
Nosotros	empezaríamos	We would begin
Vosotros	empezaríais	You would begin
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	empezarían	They/You would begin

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate empezar in the indicative conditional tense:

• Empezaría a prestar atención si el maestro hablara más fuerte. / I would begin to pay attention if the teacher spoke louder.
• Ella empezaría a escuchar a su madre si necesitara un consejo. / She would begin listening to her mother if she needed advice.
• Ustedes empezarían a llevarse bien si jugaran juntos más seguido. / You would begin to get along if you played together more often.

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How to Conjugate Empezar in Perfect Tense

The perfect tense helps us discuss past events that influence the present. To conjugate empezar in the perfect tense, you need to use the auxiliary verb haber and the past participle of empezar (empezado). Now, we’ll look at these perfect tenses: present perfect, future perfect, past perfect, conditional perfect, and preterite perfect.

Present Perfect

We use the present perfect tense to talk about events that started in the past and are ongoing in the present. In the case of empezar, you can use its present perfect conjugations to describe actions you have begun and continue to do. For example, you can say, “Has empezado a notar el paso de los días” which means, “You have begun to notice the passing of the days.”

Below, you can find the present perfect conjugation table for the verb empezar:

Pronoun	Empezar Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	He empezado	I have begun
Tú	Has empezado	You have begun
Vos	Has empezado	You have begun
Él/Ella/Usted	Ha empezado	He/She has begun, You have begun
Nosotros	Hemos empezado	We have begun
Vosotros	Habéis empezado	You have begun
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	Han empezado	They/You have begun

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate empezar in the present perfect tense:

• Ustedes han empezado a molestar al gato con todo ese ruido. / You have begun to annoy the cat with all that noise.
• Hemos empezado a ir a clases de danza. / We have begun going to dance classes.
• Habéis empezado a filmar una película independiente. / You have begun filming an independent movie.

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Future Perfect

In Spanish, we use the future perfect tense to describe actions that will take place before later events. The future perfect form of empezar allows us to talk about actions that will have begun at a specific point in the future. For example, you can say, “Habrás empezado a tocar piano como un profesional pronto,” which means, “You will have begun playing piano like a professional soon.”

Here’s the conjugation table for empezar in the future perfect tense:

Pronoun	Empezar Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	Habré empezado	I will have begun
Tú	Habrás empezado	You will have begun
Vos	Habrás empezado	You will have begun
Él/Ella/Usted	Habrá empezado	He/She/You will have begun
Nosotros	Habremos empezado	We will have begun
Vosotros	Habréis empezado	You will have begun
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	Habrán empezado	They/You will have begun

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate empezar in the future perfect tense:

• Usted habrá empezado a entender antes de que se de cuenta. / You will have begun to understand before you notice.
• Vos habrás empezado a ayudar en la cocina para entonces. / You will have begun helping in the kitchen by then.
• Si salimos a tiempo, nosotros habremos empezado el día a las 9:00.  / If we leave early, we will have begun the day at 9:00.

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Past Perfect (Pluperfect)

The past perfect tense helps us remember an event that took place before another in the past. We use empezar in this tense to tell others what we had begun doing. For example, you can say, “Habíamos empezado a confiar en él cuando descubrimos la mentira,” which means, “We had begun to trust him when we discovered the lie.”

You can find the past perfect conjugation table for empezar below:

Pronoun	Empezar Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	Había empezado	I had begun
Tú	Habías empezado	You had begun
Vos	Habías empezado	You had begun
Él/Ella/Usted	Había empezado	He/She/You had begun
Nosotros	Habíamos empezado	We had begun
Vosotros	Habíais empezado	You had begun
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	Habían empezado	They/You had begun

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate empezar in the pluperfect tense:

• Había empezado a gustarme cuando desapareció. / I had begun to like him when he disappeared.
• Tú habías empezado a pensar que todo era cierto cuando te despertaste. / You had begun thinking everything was real when you woke up.
• Ustedes habían empezado a encajar cuando tuvieron que cambiarse de escuela. / You had begun to fit in when you had to change schools.

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Conditional Perfect

The conditional perfect tense helps us talk about theories, possibilities, or opinions. You can also use it to discuss events that should have or could have taken place. Empezar can be used in this tense to point out what events or actions would have begun under different circumstances. For example, you can say, “Tú habrías empezado la universidad este semestre si te hubieses inscrito a tiempo,” which means, “You would have begun college this semester if you had signed up on time.” 

Below, you can find the conjugation table for empezar in the conditional perfect tense:

Pronoun	Empezar Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	Habría empezado	I would have begun
Tú	Habrías empezado	You would have begun
Vos	Habrías empezado	You would have begun
Él/Ella/Usted	Habría empezado	He/She/You would have begun
Nosotros	Habríamos empezado	We would have begun
Vosotros	Habríais empezado	You would have begun
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	Habrían empezado	They/You would have begun

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate empezar in the conditional perfect tense:

• Él habría empezado a recibir cartas si no hubiese cambiado su dirección. / He would have begun getting letters if he hadn’t changed his address.
• Habríamos empezado a cargar el barco si el capitán lo hubiese ordenado. / We would have begun to load the ship if the captain had ordered us to.
• Usted también habría empezado a quejarse si hubiese esperado tanto tiempo. / You would have begun complaining too if you had waited so long.

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Preterite Perfect (Past Anterior)

With the preterite perfect tense, we can discuss actions completed at a specific point in time. You can use empezar in this form to talk about what you had begun in the past. For example, you can say, “Ese año, hubo empezado a aprender a montar bicicleta,” which means, “That year, he had begun to learn how to ride a bicycle.” Keep in mind that this tense is rarely used in modern Spanish, and is often replaced with the present perfect tense.

Here’s the conjugation table for empezar in the preterite perfect tense:

Pronoun	Empezar Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	Hube empezado	I had begun
Tú	Hubiste empezado	You had begun
Vos	Hubiste empezado	You had begun
Él/Ella/Usted	Hubo empezado	He/She/You had begun
Nosotros	Hubimos empezado	We had begun
Vosotros	Hubisteis empezado	You had begun
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	Hubieron empezado	They/You had begun

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate empezar in the past perfect tense:

• La semana pasada, yo hube empezado a cuidar al perro del vecino. / Last week, I had begun watching over the neighbor’s dog.
• Ellos hubieron empezado a demoler la vieja casa el martes pasado. / They had begun demolishing the old house last Tuesday.
• Nosotros hubimos empezado una discusión que no podíamos terminar. / We had begun a discussion that we couldn’t end.

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How to Conjugate Empezar in Subjunctive Tense

In English, we don’t have a subjunctive tense because there are specific phrases and words that we use to express uncertainness. However, in Spanish, the subjunctive tense is needed to express subjective ideas like wishes, hopes, and doubts. We also use the subjunctive tense to create theories and hypothetical scenarios. We’ll go over the following subjunctive tenses: present subjunctive, future subjunctive, and imperfect subjunctive.

Present Subjunctive

The present subjunctive allows us to express doubts, wishes, hopes, and intentions. In the case of empezar, you can use its present subjunctive conjugations to talk about activities or events that might begin. For example, you can say, “Puede que empiece a leer el libro por la noche,” which means, “I might begin to read the book at night.” 

You can find the conjugation table for empezar in the present subjunctive below: 

Pronoun	Empezar Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	empiece	I begin
Tú	empieces	You begin
Vos	empieces	You begin
Él/Ella/Usted	empiece	He/She begins, You begin
Nosotros	empecemos	We begin
Vosotros	empecéis	You begin
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	empiecen	They/You begin

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate empezar in the present subjunctive tense:

• Es mejor que empieces a practicar temprano. / It’s best that you begin to practice early. 
• Espero que empecemos a tocar la flauta cuando ella llegue. / I hope we begin playing the flute when she arrives.
• No empecéis la obra hasta que llegue el profesor. / Don’t begin the play until the teacher arrives.

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Future Subjunctive

We use the future subjunctive to talk about hypothetical events that could take place in the future. You can use empezar in this tense to tell others what you will begin doing later. For example, you can say, “Nosotros empezáremos a escalar la montaña cuando salga el sol,” which means, “We will begin to climb the mountain once the sun rises.”

Below, you can find the conjugation table for empezar in the future subjunctive tense:

Pronoun	Empezar Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	empezare	I will begin
Tú	empezares	You will begin
Vos	empezares	You will begin
Él/Ella/Usted	empezare	He/She/You will begin
Nosotros	empezáremos	We will begin
Vosotros	empezareis	You will begin
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	empezaren	They/You will begin

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate empezar in the future subjunctive tense:

• Yo empezare a aprender italiano muy pronto. / I will begin learning Italian very soon.
• Empezareis a ir a la escuela a final de mes. / You will begin to go to school by the end of the month.
• Vos empezares a surfear antes de que lo sepas. / You will begin surfing before you know it.

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Imperfect Subjunctive

The imperfect subjunctive helps us discuss uncertain past events. It can also be used to talk about feelings, theories, or doubts about the future. The verb empezar can be used in this form to discuss how actions you began could impact future events. For example, you can say, “Si él empezase a cantar, todos querrían hacer lo mismo,” which means, “If he began singing, everyone would want to do the same.”

Here’s the imperfect subjunctive conjugation table for the verb empezar: 

Pronoun	Empezar Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	empezara/ empezase	I began
Tú	empezaras / empezases	You began
Vos	empezaras/ empezases	You began
Él/Ella/Usted	empezara/ empezase	He/She/You began
Nosotros	empezáramos/ empezásemos	We began
Vosotros	empezarais/ empezaseis	You began
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	empezaran/ empezasen	They/You began

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate empezar in the imperfect subjunctive tense:

• Si tu empezaras a pelear, nadie te apoyaría. / If you began fighting, nobody would support you.
• Si ustedes empezaran a escuchar a la maestra, sacarían buenas notas. / If you began listening to the teacher, you would get good grades.
• ¿Crees que si empezase a vender vegetales, me iría bien? / Do you think that if I began selling vegetables, I would do good?

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How to Conjugate Empezar in Perfect Subjunctive Tense

The perfect subjunctive mood is used to describe uncertain events in the past that could have influenced the present. You can use empezar in this tense to remember actions or events that started in the past. To conjugate empezar in this mood, you need to use the auxiliary verb haber and the past participle of empezar (empezado). We’ll cover the next perfect subjunctive tenses: present perfect subjunctive, future perfect subjunctive, and pluperfect subjunctive.

Present Perfect Subjunctive

We use the present perfect subjunctive to talk about past events that are still connected to the present. In the case of the verb empezar, you can use its present perfect subjunctive form to point out events or actions that have begun in the past but continue in the present. For example, you can say, “Es posible que ya hayan empezado a cortar la torta,” which means, “They may have begun to cut the cake already.”

You can find the conjugation table for empezar in the present perfect subjunctive tense below: 

Pronoun	Empezar Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	Haya empezado	I have begun
Tú	Hayas empezado	You have begun
Vos	Hayas empezado	You have begun
Él/Ella/Usted	Haya empezado	He/She has begun, You have begun
Nosotros	Hayamos empezado	We have begun
Vosotros	Hayáis empezado	You have begun
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	Hayan empezado	They/You have begun

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate empezar in the present perfect subjunctive tense:

• Puede que hayas empezado el exámen muy tarde. / You may have begun the exam too late.
• Creo que ella ha empezado a tejer. / I believe she has begun knitting.
• Él no piensa que hayamos empezado a aprender francés. / He doesn’t think we have begun learning French.

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Future Perfect Subjunctive

We use the future perfect subjunctive to talk about possible future events. The future perfect subjunctive conjugation of empezar lets us imagine what we will have begun or an event that will have begun in a hypothetical future. For example, you can say, “Para entonces ya hubiere empezado a ahorrar dinero,” which means, “By then I will have already begun saving money.” This tense is rarely used in modern Spanish, but learning its conjugations for empezar can be useful in understanding old texts and legal documents.

Below is the conjugation table for empezar in the future perfect tense:

Pronoun	Empezar Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	Hubiere empezado	I will have begun
Tú	Hubieres empezado	You will have begun
Vos	Hubieres empezado	You will have begun
Él/Ella/Usted	Hubiere empezado	He/She/You will have begun
Nosotros	Hubiéremos empezado	We will have begun
Vosotros	Hubiereis empezado	You will have begun
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	Hubieren empezado	They/You will have begun

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate empezar in the future perfect subjunctive tense:

• Hubieren empezado a empacar si supieran que el tren se va esta noche. / You would have begun packing if you knew that the train leaves tonight.
• Si hubiereis empezado los deberes temprano, tendríais toda la tarde libre. / If you would have begun your chores early, you would have the whole afternoon free.
• Para deciembre, ya hubieres empezado a sentir frío. / By December, you will have begun to feel cold.

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Pluperfect Subjunctive

With the pluperfect subjunctive, we can remember actions that took place before other actions in the past. You can use empezar in this tense to make hypotheses about what you had begun doing or what event had begun before something happened. For example, you can say, “Ella hubiera empezado a preparar la cena cuando Pedro llegó,” which means, “She had begun making dinner when Pedro arrived.”

Below, you can find the pluperfect subjunctive conjugation table for the verb empezar:

Pronoun	Empezar Conjugation	English Meaning
Yo	Hubiera/ Hubiese empezado	I had begun
Tú	Hubieras/ Hubieses empezado	You had begun
Vos	Hubieras/ Hubieses empezado	You had begun
Él/Ella/Usted	Hubiera/ Hubiese empezado	He/She/You had begun
Nosotros	Hubiéramos/ Hubiésemos empezado	We had begun
Vosotros	Hubierais/ Hubieseis empezado	You had begun
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes	Hubieran/ Hubiesen empezado	They/You had begun

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate empezar in the pluperfect subjunctive tense:

• Ellos hubiesen empezado a correr cuando el olor del humo alcanzó la puerta. / They had begun running when the smell of smoke reached the door.
• Nosotros hubiéramos empezado el show pero empezó a nevar. / We had begun the show but it started to snow.
• Yo hubiese empezado a gritar cuando oí que era una broma. / I had begun screaming when I heard it was a joke.

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How to Conjugate Empezar in the Imperative Tense

In Spanish, the imperative tense lets us give orders, commands, or advice. You can use the imperative conjugations of empezar to tell someone to start or not start an action. Notice that empezar is most commonly used as “start” in this form. Remember that if you want to use empezar in its negative imperative form, you need to add “no” instead of “don’t.” For example, you can say, “¡No empieces con eso de nuevo!” which means, “Don’t start that again!”

Here’s the conjugation table for empezar in the imperative tense:

Pronoun	Empezar Conjugation (Affirmative)	Empezar Conjugation (Negative)	English Meaning
Tú	¡Empieza!	¡No empieces!	Start!/Don’t start!
Vos	¡Empezá!	¡No empieces!	Start!/Don’t start!
Él/Ella/Usted	¡Empiece!	¡No empiece!	Start!/Don’t start!
Nosotros	¡Empecemos!	¡No empecemos!	Let’s start!/Let’s not star!
Vosotros	¡Empezad!	¡No empecéis!	Start!/Don’t start!
Ellos/Ellas/ Ustedes	¡Empiecen!	¡No empiecen!	Start!/Don’t start!

Here are some example sentences showing how to conjugate empezar in the imperative tense:

• ¡Empezad el show! / Start the show!
• ¡No empiecen a gritar! / Don’t start screaming!
• ¡Empecemos a evacuar! / Let’s start evacuating!

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Tips for Conjugating The Verb Empezar Correctly

Empezar is an irregular, stem-changing verb, so learning its conjugations can be tricky and take time. But, you can master Spanish verb conjugations if you study constantly. There are many authentic Spanish resources like videos, podcasts, and news articles available online that can make the task easier and bring you closer to your language goal. Make sure to study verb tables to develop a natural understanding of conjugation in Spanish. 

Here are a couple of common expressions to help you practice using the verb empezar. “Empieza empezando,” literally means, “Start by beginning” and is used to encourage people to start a task. “No empieces la casa por el tejado,” is an old saying that translates to, “Don’t start (building) the house by the rooftop,” and is used to tell people that they are doing things in a disorganized way or reaching conclusions before time.

Ways to Practice Empezar Conjugations

One of the best ways to practice verb conjugation is by paying attention to the way native speakers talk with each other. This can give you clues about how people apply language rules in the real world, and help you develop a natural understanding of the language and test your skills. However, this can be harder to achieve if you don’t live somewhere where Spanish is spoken, but don’t worry.

There are many ways to learn Spanish, so you can try different ones or mix and match them to fit your needs. If you want to learn through brief lessons, Spanish apps are a good way to acquire a lot of vocabulary quickly. Spanish books often have longer grammatical explanations and can be great reference tools. There are also online Spanish courses that can provide a structured lesson plan and help you tackle Spanish conjugation in a blink.

Empezar Conjugations: FAQ