The preterite tense of comenzar is used to express when something began at a specific point in the past, for example, “I began studying Spanish last year.” This tense helps you describe the exact moment when an action started.

This is a stem-changing verb that follows an e-ie pattern in many forms, but in the preterite tense, it maintains regular -ar endings with a slight spelling change to maintain pronunciation. The ‘z’ changes to ‘c’ before ‘e’ to keep the same sound.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Comenzar (to begin) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

The Preterite of comenzar indicates a specific instance of beginning something in the past. This tense emphasizes the moment when something started.

To start or begin an action: Used for specific moments when something was initiated, for example comencé mi trabajo a las ocho (I began my work at eight), or comenzó a llover durante la fiesta (it began to rain during the party).

To commence formally: Used for official or formal beginnings, for example comenzaron las clases en septiembre (classes began in September).

Examples

Examples of Comenzar in the Preterite (Past) Tense

Ayer comencé un nuevo libro de Gabriel García Márquez. (Yesterday I began a new book by Gabriel García Márquez.)

Los estudiantes comenzaron el semestre en agosto. (The students began the semester in August.)

¿A qué hora comenzaste tu día hoy? (What time did you begin your day today?)

La película comenzó con una escena impactante. (The movie began with a striking scene.)

Comenzamos el proyecto sin demora. (We began the project without delay.)

Las clases comenzaron hace dos semanas. (Classes began two weeks ago.)

¿Cuándo comenzaste a estudiar español? (When did you begin studying Spanish?)

El concierto comenzó con un retraso de media hora. (The concert began with a half-hour delay.)

Comencé a trabajar en esta empresa en 2020. (I began working at this company in 2020.)

Los músicos comenzaron a tocar al anochecer. (The musicians began playing at sunset.)

Comenzamos el viaje al amanecer. (We began the journey at dawn.)

La tormenta comenzó de repente. (The storm began suddenly.)

Comenzaste muy bien tu presentación. (You began your presentation very well.)

Los atletas comenzaron su entrenamiento temprano. (The athletes began their training early.)

El negocio comenzó con una pequeña inversión. (The business began with a small investment.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Comenzar (to begin) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

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

Synonyms

The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.