Comenzar o empezar?
4
votes
Which is more commonly used?
La película comienza a las siete.
La película empieza a las siete.
Are there any other examples to show where one might be used in favor of the other?
3594 views
updated Jul 26, 2011
posted by Tosh
1 Answer
9
votes
I have heard them used interchangeably, just as one would use "commence," "begin," or "start." Although "commence" is a bit formal in English, "comenzar" is not so formal in Spanish.
Edit:
I just found this post by Lazarus.....
"Empezar" and "comenzar" are pretty close in their meaning, although "comenzar" is preferred in more formal speech, and "empezar" can also be used to for "start to eat something"....You also have "iniciar", which is similar, but it is not as flexible as "empezar" and "comenzar", e.g. you can't say "El partido ha iniciado".
updated Jul 26, 2011
edited by --Mariana--
posted by --Mariana--
