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Conjugation Chart

“Empezar” (to begin) in the Imperfect Tense

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Understanding the Imperfect Tense of “Empezar”

The Imperfect Tense of empezar is used to describe actions that were ongoing or repeated in the past, for example, Yo empezaba a estudiar a las 7 p.m. (I used to start studying at 7 p.m.).

Empezar is a regular -ar verb, so its conjugations in the Imperfect Tense follow the typical pattern for this verb type.

How to Use Empezar in the Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense of empezar is used to describe actions that were ongoing or repeated in the past.

Expressing an action in progress: For example, Yo empezaba a estudiar cuando sonó el timbre. (I was starting to study when the bell rang.)

Describing habitual or repeated actions: For example, Cada mañana, ella empezaba su día con una taza de café. (Every morning, she would start her day with a cup of coffee.)

Expressing an action that was about to happen: For example, El equipo empezaba el partido cuando comenzó a llover. (The team was about to start the game when it started to rain.)

Colloquial usage (idiomatic): For example, ¡Empezaba a calentar la cosa! (Things were starting to heat up! – referring to a situation becoming tense or exciting.)

Real Life Examples of Empezar in the Imperfect Tense

Yo empezaba a leer el libro cuando sonó el timbre. (I was starting to read the book when the doorbell rang.)

Ellos empezaban a preparar la cena cuando se fue la luz. (They were starting to prepare dinner when the power went out.)

Nosotros empezábamos a ver la película cuando llegaron los invitados. (We were starting to watch the movie when the guests arrived.)

Ella empezaba a estudiar para el examen todas las noches. (She would start studying for the exam every night.)

Tú empezabas a correr en el parque muy temprano. (You would start running in the park very early.)

Él empezaba a trabajar en el proyecto, pero se distrajo con otras tareas. (He was starting to work on the project, but got distracted by other tasks.)

¿Empezabas a cocinar cuando te llamé? (Were you starting to cook when I called you?)

Mis amigos empezaban a bailar en cuanto sonaba la música. (My friends would start dancing as soon as the music played.)

La reunión empezaba a las ocho, pero llegué tarde. (The meeting was starting at eight, but I arrived late.)

Yo empezaba a sentirme cansado después de unas horas de caminar. (I was starting to feel tired after a few hours of walking.)

Ellas empezaban a reír cada vez que contábamos ese chiste. (They would start laughing every time we told that joke.)

Nosotros empezábamos a empacar con anticipación para nuestro viaje. (We would start packing in advance for our trip.)

Él empezaba a frustrarse con los problemas técnicos. (He was starting to get frustrated with the technical issues.)

Tú empezabas a bostezar durante las reuniones largas. (You would start yawning during long meetings.)

Ellos empezaban a discutir sobre política y nunca se ponían de acuerdo. (They would start arguing about politics and never agree.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Empezar (to begin) in the Imperfect Tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

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

Synonyms

The Imperfect tense is also known as the Past Imperfect, Descriptive Past, Past Progressive, or Imperfect Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Imperfecto, Copretérito, Imperfecto de Indicativo, or Pasado Descriptivo in Spanish.