You're standing in a busy plaza in Madrid or maybe trying to kick off a meeting with a remote team in Mexico City. You need to get things moving. Naturally, you wonder: how do you say start in spanish? If you tap that question into a basic translation app, you’ll probably get back a single word like empezar.
That isn't wrong. It just isn't the whole story.
Spanish is a language of nuance and regional flavor. Using the same word for "starting a car" as you do for "starting a conversation" or "starting a business" makes you sound like a textbook. Nobody wants to sound like a textbook. To really speak the language, you have to understand that "starting" is a vibe as much as an action.
Empezar vs. Comenzar: The Great Debate
Let’s get the big two out of the way. If you want to know how do you say start in spanish for 90% of situations, it's empezar. It’s the workhorse. You use it for starting a movie, starting your homework, or starting a race.
- Empiezo mi dieta mañana. (I start my diet tomorrow.)
- ¿A qué hora empieza la fiesta? (What time does the party start?)
Then there’s comenzar. It’s the fancy cousin. It’s slightly more formal, more "literary." You’ll hear it in news broadcasts or read it in novels. While they are mostly interchangeable, comenzar feels a bit more structured. Think of it like the difference between "let's get started" and "let us commence." Honestly, if you’re just hanging out with friends, stick to empezar. It’s safer. It’s more natural.
One weird quirk? Both are "stem-changing" verbs. That means the "e" changes to an "ie" when you conjugate them. Yo empiezo, not yo empezo. It's one of those little hurdles that trips up beginners, but once you get the rhythm, it becomes second nature.
The Mechanical "Start": Iniciar and Arrancar
You can't "empezar" a car. Well, you can, but it sounds like you're starting the process of doing something with the car, not turning the key.
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When you’re talking about engines, computers, or official programs, you want arrancar. This word literally means "to pull out" or "to uproot," but in a mechanical context, it’s the spark. When your old Honda finally roars to life, it arranca.
Then we have iniciar. This is the digital "start." If you look at your Windows computer in Spanish, the "Start Menu" is the Menú de Inicio. It’s used for processes, sessions, and official ceremonies. It’s "initiating."
Imagine you're at a tech startup in Bogotá. You wouldn't say you're empezando the software unless you're talking about the development phase. If you're clicking the button to run the code? You're iniciando the program.
Context Is Everything: How Do You Say Start in Spanish for Business?
Business Spanish is its own beast. You aren't just starting; you're launching.
If you're opening a shop, you might use montar. Montar un negocio literally means "to mount a business," like you're saddling up a horse. It implies the effort of building something from the ground up.
But what if you're talking about a project kick-off? You might hear poner en marcha. This is a gorgeous idiom. It means "to put into gear" or "to set in motion." It sounds professional. It sounds like you have a plan.
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- Vamos a poner en marcha el nuevo proyecto. (We’re going to start/kick off the new project.)
There’s also emprender. You’ve heard of "entrepreneurs," right? This is the root. It’s a heavy word. You emprender a journey or a massive corporate venture. It’s not for small tasks. You don't emprender your laundry. You emprender a quest to find the best tacos in Mexico City.
Regional Slang and Getting Things Moving
Spanish varies wildly by geography. In some places, people will use words that have nothing to do with the dictionary definition of "start" to tell you to get going.
In Spain, you might hear venga. It’s a form of the verb venir (to come), but it’s used constantly as "come on" or "start already."
In Mexico, ¡órale! can mean anything from "wow" to "let's start."
If you want to tell someone to "start over" from the beginning, the phrase is empezar de cero (start from zero). Or, if you’ve messed something up and need a clean slate, you say borrón y cuenta nueva. Literally: "big smudge and a new account." It’s the Spanish equivalent of "let's wipe the slate clean."
Don't Forget the "Starting To" Construction
Often, you aren't just saying "start." You're saying "I started to eat" or "It started to rain."
In Spanish, you use the formula: Empezar + a + infinitive.
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- Empezó a llover. (It started to rain.)
- Empecé a estudiar a las ocho. (I started to study at eight.)
Leaving out that little "a" is a classic "gringo" mistake. It’s a tiny bridge between the start and the action. Without it, the sentence falls apart.
Why the Dictionary Fails You
The problem with searching for how do you say start in spanish is that English uses "start" as a Swiss Army knife. We use it for everything. Spanish is more like a specialized toolbox.
If you use arrancar for a race, people will think you're a car.
If you use abrir (to open) for a show, it works, but only in a theatrical sense.
There's even darse prisa, which means "to start moving faster" or "to hurry up." Sometimes the "start" is implied in the urgency.
Actionable Steps for Mastering the "Start"
Stop trying to memorize one-to-one translations. It doesn't work. Instead, try these specific tactics to internalize which "start" to use:
- Label your world. Put a sticky note on your computer that says iniciar. Put one on your car dashboard that says arrancar. Every time you touch them, say the word.
- Watch the "Start" buttons. Change your phone's language to Spanish for a day. Look at how Netflix translates "Start Watching." Notice how Instagram handles "Start a Live." You'll see iniciar and empezar in their natural habitats.
- Listen for the "A". When watching a show in Spanish, listen for that empezar a construction. It's everywhere. Once you hear it, you can't un-hear it.
- Use "Empezar de Cero." Next time you mess up a practice sentence, don't just correct it. Say, "Vale, voy a empezar de cero." (Okay, I'm going to start from scratch.) It builds the muscle memory for the idiom.
- Ditch the formal. Unless you are writing a legal document or a graduation speech, stop using comenzar. You'll sound much more like a local if you stick to empezar.
The goal isn't just to be understood. It's to be felt. Choosing the right "start" tells the listener that you understand their world, whether that's the world of high-tech startups or a Sunday afternoon football match. Spanish is a language of action, and how you choose to kick off that action says everything about your fluency.
Next time you're about to say "start," take a half-second. Are you turning an engine? Arrancar. Are you opening a file? Iniciar. Are you just getting on with life? Empezar. You've got this. Now, ponte en marcha. (Get moving.)