verb · #228
to begin
Example: El curso empieza en otoño.
The course begins in autumn.
Spanish → English
empezar
empezar is Spanish for to begin.
What empezar means
How common is it?
empezar is ranked #228 of the 500 most common Spanish words. It is in the everyday core of the language — common enough that it is worth knowing cold before you move on to specialist vocabulary.
Nearby on the frequency list
Words with a similar frequency to empezar — learning them together is more efficient than learning them alphabetically.
- sentarse — to sit down
- abrir — to open
- cerrar — to close
- terminar — to finish
- esperar — to wait; to hope
- entrar — to enter
See all 500 most common Spanish words
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Compiled and checked by the Flipkado team · Last updated 2026-08-22