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What is the difference between "yo he empezado" and "yo empecé"? Gracias.


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Csargsoto profile picture CsargsotoSeptember 2016

"Pretérito Perfecto" is a verbal time used to connect the past with the present, example, "Hoy he llegado a Tokio" -"Today I've arrived to Tokio" "Esta semana he empezado a estudiar" - "This week I've started to study" "Este verano he rentado una casa" -"This summer I've rented a house", you can see the past is connected to the present through the verb "haber", the past is recent, you can count the days, weeks, months, years, when the event occurred, and you mark this time in the sentence through hoy, ayer, esta mañana, este verano, esta semana, este mes, este año, check this tip, while the word "este" or "esta" is there, the past is nearest. In contrast, "Preterito indefinido" the past is undefined, it's far away, you don't know exactly when the event occurred. "Yo Empecé a estudiar español" "I started to study Spanish" you can see in this verbal time you don't mark when, in Pretérito Perfecto is "Este verano yo he empezado a estudiar español" "this summer I have started to study spanish", other example "yo tuve un accidente en mi coche" when? "Hoy yo he tenido un accidente en mi coche", "vine a verte muchas veces" when? "Este mes he venido a verte muchas veces" "yo volé a Estados Unidos en la aerolínea Copa el año pasado, pero este año he volado en la aerolínea American". And there is one more past time in español, "Pretérito imperfecto" this we can use to compare the past and the present in the same sentence, example "antes yo empezaba a estudiar por la mañana, ahora yo empiezo a estudiar muy tarde después de la cena"  "antes los españoles construían castillos con rocas y barro, hoy construyen rascacielos con acero y hormigón". "Cuando era niño solía irme temprano a la cama, ahora suelo irme después de la 1:00 de la mañana". Espero que esto te haya ayudado. wink

robhedz12 profile picture robhedz12September 2016
As simple as this...I've started (yo he empezado)...I started (Yo empecé)
Erikasouleri profile picture ErikasouleriJanuary 2017
la diferencia es que "Empezado" está en participio, y yo empecé es pretérito perfecto, osea que se realizó la acción, a diferencia de Empezedo que puede que no se halla realizado . por ejemplo: No he empezado a comer. un sinónimo de Empezar es Comenzar
Marcelo883 profile picture Marcelo883August 2021
because ”Iyo he empezado”sounds bad. As if it is not well said. It is better said and more formal like this: ”yo empecé” Or if you want to use the” he .....”you must replace the verb empezado to” Yo he comenzado ”it sounds better that way.
HUGODANTE profile picture HUGODANTESeptember 2016
(Yo he empezado) composed past (yo empecé) simple present
Erikasouleri profile picture ErikasouleriJanuary 2017
Excuse me I don´t write to much in english but I will try: Difference is that I´ve started is in participle, and I started is perfect tense, refers to the action was taken, to difference to I´ve started Which may not be realized, For example:
I have not started eating, A synonym to start (empezar) is to start (comenzar)