The Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) of Comenzar is used to give direct orders or instructions to begin something, for example: Comienza a estudiar ahora. (Begin studying now.)

Comenzar is a stem-changing verb, meaning the vowel in the stem changes from ‘e’ to ‘ie’ in certain conjugations. This pattern is common among Spanish verbs and must be memorized.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Comenzar (to begin) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Latin American Spanish):

Comenzar generally means “to begin” or “to start”, but has several different meanings in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands), some of which might surprise you.

To begin an action: For example, ¡Comienza a limpiar la casa! (Start cleaning the house!)

To initiate something: For example, ¡Comienza el proyecto ahora mismo! (Start the project right now!)

To start doing something (colloquial): For example, ¡Comienza a moverte, flojo! (Start moving, lazy one!)

To begin speaking (rude): For example, ¡Comienza a hablar de una vez! (Start talking already!)

Examples

Examples of Comenzar in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands)

¡Comencemos la reunión! (Let’s start the meeting!)

Por favor, comienza tu presentación. (Please start your presentation.)

Antes de salir, comience a recoger sus pertenencias. (Before leaving, start gathering your belongings.)

Equipo, comiencen los preparativos para el evento. (Team, start the preparations for the event.)

¿Estás listo? Comienza cuando quieras. (Are you ready? Start whenever you want.)

Para iniciar el proceso, comience por llenar este formulario. (To start the process, begin by filling out this form.)

Oye, ¿qué tal si comenzamos a ver esa nueva serie? (Hey, what if we start watching that new show?)

Después del calentamiento, comiencen el entrenamiento principal. (After the warm-up, start the main workout.)

Si quieres progresar, comienza por establecer metas realistas. (If you want to make progress, start by setting realistic goals.)

¡Comencemos este viaje con entusiasmo! (Let’s start this journey with enthusiasm!)

Para mejorar tu español, comienza por practicar todos los días. (To improve your Spanish, start by practicing every day.)

Antes de que se enfríe, comience a comer su plato. (Before it gets cold, start eating your plate.)

¿Listos para la aventura? ¡Comiencen! (Ready for the adventure? Start!)

En cuanto llegue el instructor, comience el ejercicio. (As soon as the instructor arrives, start the exercise.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Comenzar (to begin) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Imperative mood is also known as the Command Form, Affirmative Command Mood, or Direct Command Form in English, and as Modo Imperativo, Imperativo Afirmativo, Mandatos Afirmativos, or Forma de Mandato in Spanish.