Comenzar Conjugation | How to Conjugate Comenzar in Spanish

Comenzar means “to start,” “to begin,” or “to commence.” You will learn its e → ie present change, z → c spelling change before e, regular past/future families, and comenzar a.

Comenzar conjugation at a glance

Verb type: Irregular. Comenzar has an e → ie stem change in stressed present-family forms, which use comienz-. Before e, final z changes to c.

Comenzar gerund, past participle, and infinitive

The infinitive names the verb, the gerund supports progressive constructions, and the past participle combines with haber in compound forms. The participle comenzado remains invariant in those compounds.

Form	Spanish	Natural English guide
Infinitive	comenzar	to start / begin
Gerund	comenzando	starting / beginning
Past participle	comenzado	started / begun

Comenzar meaning and essential uses

Comenzar can be transitive when someone starts something: Comienzo el trabajo a las nueve. — “I start work at nine.”

It can also be intransitive when an event or process begins: La película comienza a las ocho. — “The movie starts at eight.” A central pattern is comenzar a + infinitive — “to begin to do something.”

Comenzar irregular conjugation patterns

Stressed present indicative forms use comienz-: comienzo, comienzas, comienza, comienzan. Nosotros/nosotras and vosotros/vosotras keep comenz-: comenzamos / comenzáis.

The first-person preterite is comencé. Present subjunctive combines the stem and spelling rules: comience, comiences, comience, comencemos, comencéis, comiencen.

Comenzar indicative and periphrastic conjugations

Comenzar present tense conjugation

Present indicative (el presente de indicativo) — Use it for current situations, habits, facts, and contextually near-future reference. Stressed forms use comienz-; nosotros/nosotras and vosotros/vosotras retain comenz-.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	comienzo	I start / begin
Tú — you, singular informal	comienzas	you start / begin
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	comienza	he / she starts / begins; you start / begin (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	comenzamos	we start / begin
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	comenzáis	you start / begin (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	comienzan	they start / begin; you start / begin (plural)

• Comienzo el trabajo a las nueve. — I start work at nine.

Comenzar preterite conjugation

Preterite (el pretérito perfecto simple / pretérito indefinido) — Use it for completed or bounded past events. The first-person singular is comencé, with z → c before e.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	comencé	I started / began
Tú — you, singular informal	comenzaste	you started / began
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	comenzó	he / she started / began; you started / began (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	comenzamos	we started / began
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	comenzasteis	you started / began (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	comenzaron	they started / began; you started / began (plural)

• Ayer comencé un curso nuevo. — Yesterday I started a new course.

Comenzar imperfect conjugation

Imperfect (el pretérito imperfecto) — Use it for habitual, descriptive, background, or ongoing past situations. Form it with the appropriate form of haber plus invariant comenzado.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	comenzaba	I used to start / begin / was starting / beginning
Tú — you, singular informal	comenzabas	you used to start / begin / were starting / beginning
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	comenzaba	he / she used to start / begin / was starting / beginning; you used to start / begin / were starting / beginning (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	comenzábamos	we used to start / begin / were starting / beginning
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	comenzabais	you used to start / begin / were starting / beginning (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	comenzaban	they used to start / begin / were starting / beginning; you used to start / begin / were starting / beginning (plural)

• Antes comenzábamos más temprano. — We used to start earlier.

Comenzar present progressive

Present progressive — This verbal periphrasis focuses on an action or process in progress. Form it with present estar plus comenzando.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	estoy comenzando	I am starting / beginning
Tú — you, singular informal	estás comenzando	you are starting / beginning
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	está comenzando	he / she is starting / beginning; you are starting / beginning (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	estamos comenzando	we are starting / beginning
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	estáis comenzando	you are starting / beginning (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	están comenzando	they are starting / beginning; you are starting / beginning (plural)

• Estoy comenzando a entender el problema. — I am beginning to understand the problem.

Comenzar near future conjugation

Near future — This verbal periphrasis expresses an intention, plan, or expected event. Form it with present ir + a + comenzar.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	voy a comenzar	I am going to start / begin
Tú — you, singular informal	vas a comenzar	you are going to start / begin
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	va a comenzar	he / she is going to start / begin; you are going to start / begin (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	vamos a comenzar	we are going to start / begin
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	vais a comenzar	you are going to start / begin (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	van a comenzar	they are going to start / begin; you are going to start / begin (plural)

• Voy a comenzar el proyecto mañana. — I am going to start the project tomorrow.

Comenzar future tense conjugation

Simple future (el futuro simple) — Use it for future reference and, where useful, probability. The table uses the verified paradigm.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	comenzaré	I will start / begin
Tú — you, singular informal	comenzarás	you will start / begin
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	comenzará	he / she will start / begin; you will start / begin (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	comenzaremos	we will start / begin
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	comenzaréis	you will start / begin (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	comenzarán	they will start / begin; you will start / begin (plural)

• Comenzaremos después del descanso. — We will begin after the break.

Comenzar conditional conjugation

Conditional (el condicional simple) — Use it for hypothetical outcomes, softened statements, or related conditional meanings. The table uses the verified paradigm.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	comenzaría	I would start / begin
Tú — you, singular informal	comenzarías	you would start / begin
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	comenzaría	he / she would start / begin; you would start / begin (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	comenzaríamos	we would start / begin
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	comenzaríais	you would start / begin (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	comenzarían	they would start / begin; you would start / begin (plural)

• Comenzaría por la parte más sencilla. — I would start with the easiest part.

Comenzar present perfect conjugation

Present perfect (el pretérito perfecto compuesto) — Use it for completed events connected to a present reference frame; regional distribution varies. Form it with the appropriate form of haber plus invariant comenzado.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	he comenzado	I have started / begun
Tú — you, singular informal	has comenzado	you have started / begun
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	ha comenzado	he / she has started / begun; you have started / begun (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	hemos comenzado	we have started / begun
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	habéis comenzado	you have started / begun (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	han comenzado	they have started / begun; you have started / begun (plural)

• He comenzado una nueva etapa. — I have begun a new stage.

Comenzar past perfect conjugation

Past perfect (el pretérito pluscuamperfecto) — Use it for an event completed before another past reference point. Form it with the appropriate form of haber plus invariant comenzado.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	había comenzado	I had started / begun
Tú — you, singular informal	habías comenzado	you had started / begun
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	había comenzado	he / she had started / begun; you had started / begun (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	habíamos comenzado	we had started / begun
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	habíais comenzado	you had started / begun (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	habían comenzado	they had started / begun; you had started / begun (plural)

• Ya habíamos comenzado cuando llegó Marta. — We had already started when Marta arrived.

Comenzar future perfect conjugation

Future perfect (el futuro perfecto) — Use it for an event expected to be completed before a future reference point. Form it with the appropriate form of haber plus invariant comenzado.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	habré comenzado	I will have started / begun
Tú — you, singular informal	habrás comenzado	you will have started / begun
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	habrá comenzado	he / she will have started / begun; you will have started / begun (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	habremos comenzado	we will have started / begun
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	habréis comenzado	you will have started / begun (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	habrán comenzado	they will have started / begun; you will have started / begun (plural)

• Para entonces habrán comenzado todas las clases. — By then all the classes will have started.

Comenzar conditional perfect conjugation

Conditional perfect (el condicional compuesto) — Use it for a hypothetical completed outcome. Form it with the appropriate form of haber plus invariant comenzado.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	habría comenzado	I would have started / begun
Tú — you, singular informal	habrías comenzado	you would have started / begun
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	habría comenzado	he / she would have started / begun; you would have started / begun (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	habríamos comenzado	we would have started / begun
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	habríais comenzado	you would have started / begun (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	habrían comenzado	they would have started / begun; you would have started / begun (plural)

• Habría comenzado antes con más información. — I would have started earlier with more information.

Comenzar subjunctive conjugations

Comenzar present subjunctive conjugation

Present subjunctive (el presente de subjuntivo) — Use it in subordinate environments involving wishes, influence, emotion, doubt or denial, evaluation, necessity, possibility, or non-specific reference. Stressed forms use comienc-; nosotros/nosotras and vosotros/vosotras use comenc-.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	comience	that I start / begin
Tú — you, singular informal	comiences	that you start / begin
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	comience	that he / she start / begin; that you start / begin (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	comencemos	that we start / begin
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	comencéis	that you start / begin (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	comiencen	that they start / begin; that you start / begin (plural)

• Quiero que comiences ahora. — I want you to start now.

Comenzar imperfect subjunctive conjugation

Imperfect subjunctive (el imperfecto de subjuntivo) — The main table uses the -ra series. The accepted -se series is also valid in many contexts and is demonstrated after the table. Form it with the appropriate form of haber plus invariant comenzado.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	comenzara	that I started / began
Tú — you, singular informal	comenzaras	that you started / began
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	comenzara	that he / she started / began; that you started / began (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	comenzáramos	that we started / began
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	comenzarais	that you started / began (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	comenzaran	that they started / began; that you started / began (plural)

• Preferían que comenzáramos por el primer capítulo. — They preferred that we begin with the first chapter.
• Era mejor que comenzases a estudiar antes. — It was better for you to begin studying earlier.

Comenzar future subjunctive conjugation

Future subjunctive (el futuro de subjuntivo) — Rare in modern everyday Spanish. It survives mainly in formal, legal, proverbial, literary, or historical contexts. These rare reference forms belong mainly to formal, legal, proverbial, literary, or historical registers.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	comenzare	if / when I should start / begin
Tú — you, singular informal	comenzares	if / when you should start / begin
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	comenzare	if / when he / she should start / begin; if / when you should start / begin (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	comenzáremos	if / when we should start / begin
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	comenzareis	if / when you should start / begin (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	comenzaren	if / when they should start / begin; if / when you should start / begin (plural)

• Quien comenzare la actividad deberá completar el registro. — Whoever should begin the activity must complete the record.

Comenzar present perfect subjunctive conjugation

Present perfect subjunctive (el pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo) — Use it when a completed event appears inside a present- or future-oriented subjunctive environment. Form it with the appropriate form of haber plus invariant comenzado.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	haya comenzado	that I have started / begun
Tú — you, singular informal	hayas comenzado	that you have started / begun
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	haya comenzado	that he / she has started / begun; that you have started / begun (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	hayamos comenzado	that we have started / begun
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	hayáis comenzado	that you have started / begun (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	hayan comenzado	that they have started / begun; that you have started / begun (plural)

• Me alegra que hayas comenzado el curso. — I am glad that you started the course.

Comenzar past perfect subjunctive conjugation

Past perfect subjunctive (el pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo) — The main table uses hubiera; hubiese is an accepted auxiliary alternative in many contexts and is demonstrated after the table. Form it with the appropriate form of haber plus invariant comenzado.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	hubiera comenzado	that I had started / begun
Tú — you, singular informal	hubieras comenzado	that you had started / begun
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	hubiera comenzado	that he / she had started / begun; that you had started / begun (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	hubiéramos comenzado	that we had started / begun
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	hubierais comenzado	that you had started / begun (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	hubieran comenzado	that they had started / begun; that you had started / begun (plural)

• Si hubiera comenzado antes, habría terminado a tiempo. — If I had started earlier, I would have finished on time.
• Si hubieses comenzado a estudiar en junio, tendrías más práctica. — If you had started studying in June, you would have more practice.

Comenzar future perfect subjunctive conjugation

Future perfect subjunctive (el futuro perfecto de subjuntivo) — Rare in modern everyday Spanish. Treat it as a formal or historical reference form, not an everyday conversational target. Form it with the appropriate form of haber plus invariant comenzado.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	hubiere comenzado	if / when I should have started / begun
Tú — you, singular informal	hubieres comenzado	if / when you should have started / begun
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	hubiere comenzado	if / when he / she should have started / begun; if / when you should have started / begun (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	hubiéremos comenzado	if / when we should have started / begun
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	hubiereis comenzado	if / when you should have started / begun (plural)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	hubieren comenzado	if / when they should have started / begun; if / when you should have started / begun (plural)

• Si hubieren comenzado trabajos adicionales, deberán comunicarlos. — If they should have begun additional work, they must report it.

Comenzar imperative and commands

Commands address another person directly. The nosotros/nosotras row is a present-subjunctive form used with exhortative “let’s…” value.

Comenzar affirmative commands

Use the verified affirmative command forms for direct instructions when the target meaning supports them naturally.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Tú — you, singular informal	comienza	start
Usted — you, singular formal	comience	start (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we; let’s…	comencemos	let’s start
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	comenzad	start (plural, mainly Spain)
Ustedes — you, plural	comiencen	start (plural)

• Comienza por el principio. — Start at the beginning.

Comenzar negative commands

Negative commands use subjunctive-based forms, with no before the verb.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Tú — you, singular informal	no comiences	do not start
Usted — you, singular formal	no comience	do not start (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we; let’s…	no comencemos	let’s not start
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	no comencéis	do not start (plural, mainly Spain)
Ustedes — you, plural	no comiencen	do not start (plural)

• No comiences todavía. — Do not start yet.

Common constructions with Comenzar

These patterns show sentence frames that materially affect how the target verb is used.

• comenzar algo. — to start / begin something.
• algo comienza. — something starts / begins.
• comenzar a + infinitive. — to begin to do something.
• comenzar por + noun / infinitive. — to start with / by something.

Example sentences with Comenzar

These examples reinforce useful forms and contexts already taught in the lesson.

• La película comienza a las ocho. — The movie starts at eight.
• Comenzó a llover de repente. — It suddenly began to rain.
• Vamos a comenzar por esta sección. — We are going to start with this section.
• Espero que comiences hoy. — I hope you start today.
• Ya han comenzado las clases. — Classes have already started.
• Comienza cuando estés listo. — Start when you are ready.

Regional and usage notes for Comenzar

The core tables retain tú, usted, vosotros/vosotras, and ustedes. Voseo changes some second-person singular forms where vos is used.

• Vos comenzás a trabajar temprano. — You start working early. (voseo)
• Comenzá por esta página. — Start with this page. (affirmative vos command)

For comenzar, track two interacting rules: stressed e → ie and spelling z → c before e. This produces contrasts such as comienzo / comenzamos and comience / comencemos.